


Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea.

by littlecarnations



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: F/M, Multi, Post-Canon, Self-Harm, Triggers, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-03-02 02:03:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 21,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13308075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlecarnations/pseuds/littlecarnations
Summary: "It's settled then, everyone! We're going to find a boyfriend for Aunt Tenten!"





	1. Prologue.

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea.**

 

**00: _prologue_**

 

"Oh, that's an easy one!" Boruto exclaims, leaping into the air. "The most beautiful woman in Konoha? Of course it's my kaa-chan!" Sarada scoffs. "Oh, please! My mama is ten times prettier than yours!" Mitsuki smiles his usual unnerving smile. "I'm sure my parent is prettier than all your mothers combined."

Shikadai sweatdrops. "Mitsuki, is your parent, you know, a  _woman_?" Tilting his head, Mitsuki replies, "I don't know."

_Well then._

"You've got to be kidding. My kaa-chan is the most beautiful woman in the entire Fire Country!" Inojin says lightly. Of course, it is obvious that Yamanaka Ino's good genes are passed down to Inojin as well.

"Hey, hey!" Iwabe holds out a hand, grinning excitedly. "You should know who I think is the most beautiful woman in Konoha." Sarada snickers. "Your mom?" Iwabe shakes his head so vigorously that everyone finds themselves anxious to hear his answer.

"I don't know her name--"

_"Oh, come on!"_

"But I've seen her around a lot."

Boruto squints, trying to figure out who Iwabe might be talking about. "Describe her." He says, one hand scratching his invisible beard. "Um, she's quite tall, very pretty, mind you. Brown hair in two buns, she has a gorgeous smile if I do say so myself."

Boruto's eyes almost pop out of their sockets.

"That--that's Tenten-obaa-san 'ttebasa!" Shikadai hums absentmindedly as he stares at the clouds. "Iwabe has a point," he murmurs, "Tenten-san is very pretty."

"It's a shame she hasn't settled down yet." Sarada says to herself, adjusting her glasses. "Why, though? A woman with her appearance and personality shouldn't have a hard time finding a man."

"Maybe they're afraid of her weapon fetish." Inojin reasons, earning himself sharp glares from his friends. "What? You know it's true."

"Who's Tenten?" Asks Mitsuki, and Boruto whips around to look at his best friend. "She's a family friend, 'ttebasa! She's really good with weapons, she never misses! She has her own weapons shop."

"Really?" Mitsuki smiles. "That's quite interesting."

It's Denki's turn to speak. "Where did you see her, Iwabe-kun?" Iwabe laughs. "She's everywhere! I sometimes spot her near the academy, by Inojin's flower shop, even in the cemetery!"

"Ouch," Sarada comments.

"You know, it'll be a big waste if a woman like her stays single." Iwabe continues on, and sighs dramatically. "If it weren't for the age gap, I'd love to date her!"

Boruto grins. "How about, we find a boyfriend for her!" Iwabe groans. "Ah, damn, there goes my chance."

"Sure!" Inojin replies, quite enthusiastically. "Things are really boring lately. This might spice it up." Sarada nods uncertainly. "I guess, if we can make Tenten-san happy, then why not?" Mitsuki smiles out his agreement. "This is all such a drag, but I guess there's nothing better to do."

Iwabe throws his arm around Denki's shoulder. "We're in!"

"But--but--"

"It'll be fun!" Iwabe insists, clapping the younger boy's back, making him stumble forward. "It's settled then, everyone!" Boruto announces, grinning. "We're going to find a boyfriend for Aunt Tenten!"

* * *

"Which ones this time, Ten-chan?" Ino bustles around the flower shop, sending her friend a kind smile as the bun-haired woman looks around, her fingers brushing the flower petals.

"These ones, maybe? What does it mean?" Ino pauses, throwing a glance at the flowers Tenten is staring at. At the sight of it, she smiles wistfully. "You have a good eye, Ten-chan. That's a pink camellia. It means _I miss you_." "Ah." Tenten nods. "This, then."

Her hands linger, as if reluctant to let go. Ino feels her heart wrench at the small gesture. She had seen it once before, back when they were young and stupid, holding on to something that was bound to leave. Or, in Tenten's case, someone that has already left.

Ino chooses them carefully and Tenten follows her to the counter. "Visiting again today, Ten-chan?" The other woman nods, putting some money on the counter. "Yeah. I'm visiting in Lee's place with Gai-sensei; he has training with his son."

"I see." Tenten takes the bouquet and grins at Ino. "I'll be going now. Ja ne!"

Ino waves at her, and Tenten turns on her heels, walking away.

Ino sighs at Tenten's no longer visible back, wiping her dry eyes just in case she starts tearing up.

"Oh, Ten-chan, when will you stop torturing yourself?"

 


	2. What's Lost in War.

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

_**01: what's lost in war** _

 

"Ohayo, Tenten-chan." Hinata's soft voice is barely heard from her two children's loud blabbering, but still audible. "Hey, Hinata." The brunette sends her a sheepish smile. "How're the kids?"

_"WHEN I SAID I BOUGHT BURGERS, I MEANT THEY'RE FOR ME!"_

"Great." Hinata giggles at Tenten's awkward stance by the doorway. "Come in, Tenten-chan. It's been a while since you last visited." She laughs, taking off her sandals and stepping into the living room. "Yeah. With the Chuunin Exams coming up, there's been a lot of customers lately."

"I'm glad." Hinata replies. "Boruto! Himawari! Aunt Tenten's here!" Footsteps echo loudly throughout the house as Hinawari and Boruto excitedly run to their 'aunt', grinning for two different reasons entirely.

"Tenten-obaa-chan, let me braid your hair!" Himawari jumps up and down, blue eyes filled with childlike glee. Tenten feels her heart ache, and thinks back to when her eyes were still that bright. A childhood ago, too far back to remember.

"Sure."

Tenten sits on the couch and releases her dark locks from her usual twin buns, and lets Himawari run her fingers through the thick waves. "Tenten-obaa-san?" "Hmm?" She quirks up a brow. She doesn't converse with Boruto as often as she does Himawari; the boy is usually too cooped up in his video games.

"Have you ever been in love?"

Himawari giggles from behind her. Tenten freezes, before eventually making do with an awkward laugh. "Why do you ask?" She racks her brain for an answer; a diversion. She's been a kunoichi for years, how can she be unable to divert the topic of a conversation from herself?

"Have an eye on a girl, Boruto?" The boy turns beet red, almost a replica of Hinata. "Sarada, maybe?" Boruto shakes his head like crazy. "NO! I mean, no. Who can like that stick-in-the-mud, anyway?"

Tenten and Himawari laugh at the flustered boy, until he finally regains his composure. "You haven't answered me yet, Tenten-obaa-san."

 _Crap_.

"Well, uh," she tries not to think of pearly-grey eyes like the moon's staring at her after a long day of sparring and trying to keep Gai-sensei and Lee in check.

"I... I suppose so." Boruto furrows his brows. "What do you mean by that, 'ttebasa?" "Well," she swallows, "it's hard to explain."

"Boruto," Hinata calls out, "are you making Tenten-chan uncomfortable?" Boruto gulps, the threatening glare from Hinata's pale eyes chilling him to the bone. "N--no, 'ttebasa! Of course not!" Tenten snickers.

"Oh, I almost forgot." She rummages her bag for something, and a few seconds later, a forehead protector emerges from the bag. "This is for you, Hima-chan." Himawari's big cerulean eyes widen, and her lips curl to a large smile. "For me?"

"For her?" Boruto asks, voice dripping with disbelief.

"Yeah! Hinata's always talking about how much you adore your Neji-ojii-san, I suppose this should be for you."

 _"I am so,_ so _sorry, Tenten-chan!"_

"This was Neji-ojii-san's?" Looking at the protector with much more interest now, Boruto notes the scars on the metal plate. Of course, Neji-ojii-san was a shinobi who died in the war, it's only natural for his forehead protector to be scratched up.

"To him, this doesn't just symbolize his loyalty to Konoha." Tenten pokes Himawari's ( _unmarked, thank Kami, unmarked_ ) forehead with a smile. "You'll understand one day."

_"That--that noble idiot."_

"Arigato, Tenten-obaa-chan!"

The older woman fights back tears as she glances at a picture on the table. Hyuuga Neji, looking as emotionally constipated as always, with his forehead protector on, hiding what was beneath.

"You're welcome, Hima-chan."

_"Well, looks like our three man squad isn't forever."_


	3. Unknown History

* * *

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

_**02: unknown history.**_

 

"Well, that isn't good." Sarada murmurs, hand tucked under her chin. "If she's already in love, then that just makes it harder for us to make her fall for somebody else." Shikadai lets out a long-suffering sigh. "And what makes it worse is that the person she loves is dead. This entire thing is such a drag."

"Maybe we should just let it be," Inojin muses, running his brush across a paper. "I mean, it's really hard to get someone to love another person after having loved before." Boruto snickers. "Well, aren't you wise?"

Shikadai glances at the Yamanaka. "Is there something you know that I don't?" He asks, sharp green eyes narrowed. Inojin shrugs. "Heard that from kaa-san."

"What would Ino-obaa-san know about that?" Boruto asks obnoxiously, looking at both Shikadai and Inojin, then at Sarada. "She was only _attracted_ to Sasuke-sensei, right?" Inojin sighs and tucks his brush back in. "Not Uchiha Sasuke."

Mitsuki smiles unnervingly. "You think your mother doesn't love your father?" Inojin shakes his head. "It's not that. She succeeded, moving on. But Tenten-san..." Shikadai frowns. He's going to need to talk with his father about this.

"Maybe we should spy on her." 

"You baka!" Sarada snaps, whacking Boruto's head. "She's a kunoichi! No doubt she can sense you even if you hide." Denki tilts his head. "I heard that Hyuugas can hide their chakra. Maybe that way, Tenten-san can't notice us."

Eyes turn to Boruto.

"I can't do that!" He squawks pitifully. "Make someone else do it!"

* * *

"You want me," Hinata says, brows raised, "to spy on Tenten-chan while she visits Neji-nii-san's grave." Boruto nods, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Look, I know that this might be intruding on her privacy or anything, but we're really curious!" 

Hinata narrows her eyes at her son, and Boruto tries in vain to hide the squeak that escaped his mouth. "No."

"But--"

"No."

The doorbell rings, and Hinata activates her Byakugan. "Your friends are here." A small smile plays on her lips. "Sarada-chan, too?" Boruto blushes dark red. "Kaa-chan!'

He runs to open the door, and is face-to-face with the young Uchiha, who is glaring at him through her red rimmed glasses. "Come in!" He says, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

He leads them to his room, and closes the door loudly. "Kaa-chan said no." He says, clearly disheartened. Iwabe snorts. "Told you so, baka. As if your mom would ever agree to something like that."

"How about," Sarada clicks her tongue, "Inojin and Shikadai."

"What?" Inojin questions, clear blue eyes wide. "I know nothing about concealing chakra."

"That's not what she meant." Shikadai says tiredly, hands in his pockets. "Obviously, she wants us to pretend visiting our grandfathers. The location of their graves and Hyuuga Neji's is quite close. She won't suspect us if we're also visiting a relative, and we can hear what she's saying."

"It's not that obvious, really." Inojin comments. "But why not?"

"When will she be visiting next?" Boruto asks. "I can ask my mom." Inojin replies easily. "She's quite close with Tenten-san. Although, I'm pretty sure she just visited some time this week, so we'll have to wait until next week for our chance."

"I guess so." Boruto mumbles. "Now, who wants to play some Shinobi Bout?"

* * *

Shikamaru chokes on his tea. "What now?" He asks, glancing around discreetly. Temari is still with Kankuro in the other room (he came two days ago), so there's no way she can hear this. He hopes.

"Did Ino-obaa-san love anyone before Sai-ojii-san?" His son repeats, a bored expression on his face, but Shikamaru isn't fooled. He can see the well-hidden curiosity in Shikadai's eyes. "Sasuke, I suppose," Shikamaru answers, treading carefully.

"Wasn't it just attraction?" Shikadai presses, and Shikamaru grimaces. His son is just as smart as he is. Apparently, this day is bound to come sooner or later. "Who was it, tou-chan?" Shikamaru doesn't answer, but Shikadai knows.

"Was it you?"

 


	4. The Sand and the Moon.

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea.**

 

_**03: the sand and the moon.**_

 

"This is stupid!" Boruto slams his fist on the table, making Hinata and Himawari stare at him with wide eyes. "Seriously? The stupid old man hasn't come home for a week now! And every time he does, it's just a damn clone! What's his excuse now, huh?"

"Boruto, your father is the Hokage," Hinata tries gently, seeing the rage in her son's cerulean blue eyes. "He has to take care of the entire village. And, besides, Kazekage-sama and his brother are visiting from Suna, so he has to stay with them."

"And not with us?" Boruto yells, standing up. "He's been your husband and my father before he became Hokage! And now, he can just abandon us for a stupid robe and hat!" Hinata narrows her eyes. "Boruto." She chastises, sterner this time. "He's not abandoning us."

"Please." The young Uzumaki sneers hatefully. "He grew up without parents, so I assumed he would understand how it feels like to be alone. But now, it's like he's dead with the amount of time he spends in this house!"

"Boruto!"

Hinata grabs his wrist, but he shakes her away and runs off upstairs. He can practically hear the words they say about him.  _Brat, ingrate._ But is it wrong to just want to spend time with his own father? It has always been the village first, the village above all else. He hates it. And all he can do is play his video games like he doesn't care and fakes a strong front so nobody else can see how lonely he is.

"Stupid old man," he murmurs spitefully. "It's only a matter of time until I stop calling you _dad_."

* * *

"I thought I'd find you here." Tenten looks up from the white camellia she is holding, to meet a familiar pair of blue-green eyes. "Hello, Gaara." She says softly. He jumps onto the tree and sits next to her, silent. She catches his faint smile as she waves the flower in front of him, and giggles.

"How have you been?" He starts, rather awkwardly, and she smiles. "Fine. You?" He merely nods, but then turns to her with something in his eyes that resembles curiosity. "Why do you come here so often?"

For a split second, he regrets asking that question. He only knew Tenten from the over-enthusiastic Rock Lee and she had been his guide in Konoha before Naruto and Hinata's wedding. But after he found her alone crying the night after the wedding on this very same tree years ago, their friendship began.

Tenten's smile vanishes, and her chocolate eyes are filled with longing. "Back when I was still genin, Neji and I used to spend time here." All those times they fell asleep waiting for Lee, sparring harshly with him coming out victorious almost every single time.

She wants to forget. Forget the pain. But she fears that one day, she might forget the exact somber baritone of his voice, the pearly-grey of his eyes, the slight curve on his lips when he smiles. 

"I... I'm sorry." Gaara murmurs from next to her, and she turns around to face him, head tilted. "For?" He sighs quietly. "I made you..." he pauses, not knowing which word to use. Tenten smiles gently. "It's alright."

They sit in silence, admiring the full moon together. Tenten treacherously thinks of how its color strongly resembles Neji's eyes, but flings the thought far away to the back of her mind. She shouldn't be torturing herself like this. At least, not tonight.

"Thank you, Gaara." She mumbles, and he turns, slightly surprised. "For what?" Her reply is simple. "For being here." She smiles at him, and for once, the heavy weight in her heart disappears, even if it is only for a moment.

Gaara stares at her with startled green eyes, before eventually smiling back.

They stay there until morning.

* * *

"Thank you so much for doing this, Shikamaru, Temari!" Ino breathes out, and the man smirks in amusement. "How troublesome, but I guess I have no choice." "Damn right you don't." Temari grins at her husband, and Ino hugs Inojin tightly. "Be good, okay?"

"Yeah, kaa-san." He says, blushing light pink at the gesture. Sai ruffles his hair, smiling. "We'll be back in three days." Inojin snickers. "Try to not give me any siblings while you're at it." Sai chuckles, and Ino goes deep red. "What have you been teaching him, Sai?" She questions, obviously flustered.

Turning back to her son, she gives him another hug that almost crushes his ribs. "We'll be back before you know it. We love you!" Shikadai watches the entire exchange carefully. Ino-obaa-san is obviously head-over-heels for Sai-ojii-san. But after his father brushed him off rather suspiciously after he asked about Ino-obaa-san's previous experiences in love, he is sure that something happened between them.

"Yeah, yeah, love you too." Inojin says, still blushing. Temari laughs. "We'll take care of him. Enjoy your trip, Ino, Sai." "We certainly will." Sai replies, mischief twinkling in his inky eyes. "Sai!" Ino whacks his arm, and turns away. "See you soon!" The two wave, and the they wave back. Shikamaru closes the door, and sighs.

"Those two... still acting like teenagers." Temari nudges his rib, smirking. "That's a good thing, isn't it, Shikamaru?" The man groans, rubbing his temples. "I suppose."

Feeling his son's green eyes on him, Shikamaru clears his throat. "Is there anything you want to say to me, Shikadai?" Shikadai shakes his head. "Nothing, tou-chan."

"Shikadai, Inojin." The two boys turn to look at Temari. "I heard from a little birdie that you and your friends have been trying to get a boyfriend for Tenten."

At this, Shikadai's eyes widen. "How--how'd you know?" Temari laughs loudly. "Well, I may have information that interests you." Inojin looks at her with curiosity. "What?"

"I saw Gaara and Tenten sleeping on a tree this morning. Together."

Shikadai frowns. _Gaara_ and _sleep_ do not match well, even after he became Kazekage. "The fact that he can sleep with her around might mean that he's comfortable around her." Temari winks. " _Very_  comfortable."

"Well," Inojin says, grinning, "looks like we have one potential guy."


	5. Mourning.

** Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea. **

 

_**04: mourning.** _

 

_She followed where her feet carried her; Team Gai's training ground. That was the one place where she could miss him without being seen in public. Seeing Naruto and Hinata wed shouldn't have stung this much._

_Or... it should have._

_Because her dream of being the one in white was never going to come true. She remembered holding her tears back in war, she knew how the people talked about her behind her back; how cruel and heartless she was, not even shedding a tear when her teammate fell._

  _But don't they know it was because he hated seeing her cry?_

_Now, she was kneeling before the tree that had so faithfully served them for years, tears streaming down her cheeks as she covered her face with her hands, hurting like never before. Her heart was so, so heavy, it felt like all of her weapons just turned on her and stabbed her one by one. She couldn't even open her mouth to apologize for breaking her promise._

_"Tenten-san?"_

_At the voice, Tenten gasped, wiping her eyes hastily and stood, bowing respectfully. "Kazekage-sama." She could see the concern in his green eyes. "You have been crying?"_

_"I--" she took a deep, shaky breath. Putting on a smile, she shook her head. "Of course not, Kazekage-sama." His eyes narrowed. "Do you think I'm really that foolish?"_

_Seeing her flinch, Gaara softened. "Shouldn't you be happy? Naruto and Hinata just got married." Another painful pang in her heart. "I'm happy for them," she tried, "but..."_

_After the war, he said. Maybe they could try being more than friends, he said. Be safe, she said. He promised. He lied._

_Unable to continue, she dropped to her knees, sobbing. She hated this; this weakness, this vulnerability. And to make things worse, this was the Kazekage watching._

_A hand touched her shoulder._

_"Are you alright?" Gaara looked more confused than anything. "No," she whispered brokenly, "I'm not."_

_Gaara didn't know how to comfort people. At all. But seeing the woman whom he thought was one of the strongest break like this, he felt something twist in his gut. "Would you..." he cleared his throat, feeling awkward. "Would you like me to keep you company?"_

_She was silent, and he cleared his throat again, blushing slightly. "I apologize if I overstepped any boundaries. I'll take my leave now--" her hand grasped his wrist, but even her grip was weak. "Please," her voice was almost inaudible, Gaara had to strain in order to hear her. "Don't--don't leave."_

_He had a feeling she was no longer talking about him._

_"I'll stay, it it's what you wish." She nodded, closing her eyes and letting him go. He stood behind her, feeling his chest ache at the sight of her pained expression._ _"Thank you, Kazekage-sama." "Gaara." She smiled weakly, finding comfort in those strange green eyes. "Gaara."_

* * *

 "You're kidding." Cerulean blue eyes grow the size of saucers. "Tenten-obaa-san and the _Kazekage_?" Shikadai nods, looking the most interested he has ever been. "It's an unlikely pair, but kaa-chan was the one who said it." "And she is the Kazekage's sister." Sarada muses. "Are we sure, though?"

"Gaara-ojii-san doesn't sleep easily, but the fact that he can sleep when Tenten-san is around is enough to prove that they're very close." Iwabe frowns. "Gaara-sama is insomniac?" Denki nods, disheartened. "Even the most perfect has weaknesses."

"Maybe you can be the key player in this, Shikadai," Boruto says happily, thumping his friend's back loudly. "With you being his nephew, you can ask him questions about his relationship with Tenten-obaa-san!" Shikadai rolls his eyes. "It's not that easy, baka Boruto."

"I am not a baka!" Boruto yells obnoxiously, and Sarada snorts. "Sure you're not." Boruto smirks smugly. "Says the one who rides on top of a train." Sarada turns red, and Boruto grins victoriously, having found his trump card. "Y--you do it, too!"

"Yeah, but you're Sarada-sama, the stick-in-the-mud!"

"You little--"

"All right, we're here to make Tenten-san date someone, not you two date each other."

Both Boruto and Sarada whip around simultaneously, glaring viciously at a bored looking Inojin. "We are not going to date!" They yell at the same time, and Inojin snickers. "You just proved my point." 

Shikadai shrugs. "Maybe. But I have something I need to do on my own." Mitsuki tilts his head, golden eyes wide with curiosity. "Is it about your father?" Shikadai frowns, but doesn't answer. "We'll be getting home now. Come on, Inojin."

"Alright." Inojin stands and packs his scrolls and brushes back into his bag. "Ja ne!" The two walk away, and Iwabe sighs. "Well, if anyone deserves a woman as gorgeous as Tenten-san, it's Gaara-sama."

Sarada is silent, eyes flickering to the sunset.

Somehow, she feels as if things aren't as simple as it seems. 


	6. What We Don't Know

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

_**05: what we don't know.** _

 

"Checkmate." Shikamaru smirks slightly as his son groans and slouches unhealthily, exactly like him. "You win again, tou-chan." Shikamaru chuckles at his irritated expression. "You're very good at this, Shikadai. You just need more practice." "As if," the boy drawls, "you could think a hundred steps ahead when you were my age."

"So can you." Says Shikamaru, glancing at the board. His son has a long way to go, but he'll make sure that Shikadai's road won't be as turbulent as his. "Tou-chan," Shikadai drawls, "why won't you answer my question?" Shikamaru frowns. "What question?"

"The man who Ino-obaa-san was in love with," he says carefully, "was it you?" 

Shikamaru sighs. "Why are you so interested in that?" Shikadai glares at the shogi board. "Don't I have the right to know?" Replying a question with a question. "Tell me the truth." Shikadai presses. "I won't tell kaa-chan." Shikamaru laughs at that. "Your kaa-chan knows already, Shikadai."

Shikadai pauses. Shikamaru plays with a piece of shogi between his fingers, and says, "you're a bright kid, Shikadai. Even if I don't answer, you'd already know."

Shikadai's eyes widen. "So it was you, then." He murmurs, "how troublesome." Shikamaru chuckles. "Very troublesome, indeed." A single green eye peeks open. "How?" Shikamaru takes a breath. "And that's a story for another day."

"Tou-chan--"

"I need to go to the Hokage Tower. Naruto's probably going nuts without me."

Shikamaru smiles at him and walks away, hands in his pockets. Shikadai sighs in slight frustration. Why can't he just tell him what happened? Is it really that personal? Inojin walks in, blonde hair untied. "I heard." He says, and sits next to his friend, looking tired.

"Do you know?" Asks Shikadai, staring at the Yamanaka hopefully. Maybe he's been asking questions to the wrong person all this time; if Inojin has known about her mother's past love, he should be more open in telling him about what happened than his father.

"I found out by accident." Inojin admits, twirling a shogi piece the same way he would twirl a brush around his fingers. "It was before the war," he says, "before your mother. They were fifteen."

"It was also before your father came into the picture, then." Shikadai muses. Inojin nods, and Shikadai frowns. If the entire incident is before his mother, could it be that...

"The rest, I think your father should be the one to tell you." Inojin gets up, and Shikadai groans. "Come on, Inojin. Tou-chan won't tell me anything, you're the only one I've got." Inojin rolls his eyes. "Why not ask Temari-obaa-san?"

Shikadai's eyes widen in realization.

_True_.

"Fine then." Shikadai mumbles. "Let's go. Boruto and the others must already be waiting for us."

* * *

 "Inojin." The blonde hums lightly to let Shikadai know that he's listening. "Look up." Inojin glances away from his video game and gapes at the sight before him. The distinguishing red hair of the Kazekage stands out in the midst of dark-haired, awestruck Konoha children, as well as a woman with hair in twin buns next to him.

Gaara has the phantom of a smile on his face, while Tenten is completely beaming at the little girls giving her flowers, telling her that they want to be a strong kunoichi like her when she grows up. The boys stare, slack-jawed at Gaara, admiring his power and status. Shikadai knows that if Iwabe and Metal are in the crowd, they will be fanboying like crazy.

 "Let's go to them." Inojin suggests, a small smile on his pale face. "That'll be so troublesome, though," Shikadai reasons lazily, even though he knows he is fighting a losing battle. "The others would kill for this chance. Let's go!"

The two boys step into the crowd, and Gaara spots his nephew, back slouched unhealthily and pineapple hair sticking in the air. "Shikadai." The crowd parts to reveal Inojin and Shikadai. Shikadai sighs. "I knew this would happen," he murmurs underneath his breath, before saying, "Gaara-ojii-san."

"What are you doing here?" Asks Tenten cheerfully, tilting her head to balance a flower crown a child had given her on her head. Shikadai smirks to himself when he sees how his Gaara-ojii-san's gaze lingers on Tenten for a moment too long.

"We're about to meet Boruto and the others." Inojin replies for him enthusiastically. "Would you like to join us?" Gaara raises a brow, and Shikadai almost facepalms at Inojin's lack of tact. "We wouldn't be intruding?" Gaara inquires, something that sounds like amusement lacing his monotonous voice. "Of course not." Shikadai says.

Gaara turns to look at Tenten, who in turn is looking at a young, long-haired boy with pale eyes.

Hyuuga.

She is holding the boy at arm's length, smiling at him warmly. "You're going to be a great shinobi when you grow up," she says, brushing his unmarked forehead softly. "You'll be able to protect your family like how you wish, I know it." The boy blushes faintly. "Thank you, Tenten-san."

She ruffles his hair, and it doesn't take a genius to realize that the boy reminds her of her late teammate. "Tenten-san?" Inojin asks. "Would you like to join us for some hamburger?"

The woman's eyes turn bright.

"Yes, please!"


	7. Unanswered Questions

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

_**06: unanswered questions** _

 

By the looks on their faces, Shikadai can easily tell that Iwabe and Metal are trying not to faint. Their burgers are forgotten on their plates as they stare at Gaara in admiration and wonder and love. Perhaps  _they_ should be dating him. "Looks like you've got more fanboys, Gaara," Tenten teases, eating her burger with a smile.

Gaara sends her a look.

"Kazekage-sama, Tenten-obaa-chan," Boruto says mischievously, wiggling his brows. "Is there anything going on between you two?" If Gaara has eyebrows, they would've been twitching uncomfortably. Instead, he calmly bites into his burger, somehow graceful. "You're much like your father." He muses, knowing how Naruto used to bug Temari about her and Shikamaru going out.

"I don't know, Boruto, is there anything going on between you and Sarada-chan?" Both turn beet red. "NO!" They yell in unison, and Tenten chuckles at their flustered faces. "Say something, Metal," Inojin teases lightly, finishing the last of his burger.

"Ka--Kazeka--Kazekage-sama--" "don't pass out, Metal-kun." Denki says comfortingly, but it doesn't help much. "Rock Lee's son." Gaara says thoughtfully, and Tenten laughs. "It's a miracle he's not prancing around about the springtime of youth like his father." "That's just because Gaara-ojii-san is here." Shikadai sulks mournfully.

So far, Shikadai has deduced that Tenten and Gaara are close and trust each other deeply. For what reason, though, he doesn't know. At least not yet. He's sure his mother or maybe Ino-obaa-san would love to tell him all about it. Women.

But... speaking to Ino-obaa-san has its own problems. His father is hiding something, and Shikamaru isn't that type of person. So the fact that Shikamaru can bother to lie about his and Ino's past means that something big happened. Something Shikadai is unsure about wanting to know. 

"I'm sorry, but I have to go back to the Hokage Tower. My presence is needed." Gaara stands and gives them a polite almost-smile. Tenten jumps up. "I have to get back to the shop!" She takes out some money from her wallet and places it on the table. "That's for my share. Bye, everyone!"

Gaara puts his own money and leaves, everyone (especially Iwabe) waving goodbyes enthusiastically. The very moment they step out the door, Boruto exclaims, "they look so good together, 'ttebasa!" Sarada nods, a blush on her pale face. "And I'm pretty sure there's something going on between them." She sighs dreamily, her own food forgotten. "They're so cute!" She gushes, and Boruto glances at her. It's not every day he sees Sarada act this girly, and somehow the sight of her makes his face flush.

"We need to get them together somehow." Iwabe says, pumping his fists with new-found determination. "Do you guys have any ideas?"

Mitsuki smiles, somehow devilish. "I have an idea."

* * *

_"NO!"_

_The dreams always began that way. Her screams echo in her ears as she watched Neji get in the way of the wooden projectiles. He fell, blood streaming through pierced flesh and she gasped, running his way, eyes wide with fear even though she had seen it replayed thousands of times already._

_"DON'T DO IT!"_

_He never listened._

_"Neji!" It's like_ she's _the ghost, unseen and unheard. She watched as the cursed seal on his forehead faded away, sobbing. Looking at herself with her hand o her heart and Kami, she wished she had said more. But the shock was overwhelming, seeing the one person constant in her life, the person she thought would never, ever break, fall apart. She should've said something._

_Because now, it was too late._

_And the words were now meaningless, unable to roll off her tongue. She spoke to a headstone, no pearly-grey eyes or slight twitch of the lips or quiet grunts of agreement. He's gone. She's talking to empty air. Because he's_ dead _and he's not coming back to them._

_To her._

_Tenten woke in cold sweat, the light of the sun streaming from the curtains and hitting her face._ _Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she looked around. This was not Team Gai's training ground. Nor was it her house. Eyes flitting anxiously, she gasped when she saw a redhead reading some papers by the bed._

_"Gaara?" He glanced up. "You're awake." She frowned. "How am I here?" He fully looked up from his papers, staring right into her brown eyes. "You fell asleep at the training grounds, and I don't know where you live, so I brought you here."_

_A small smile made its way on her face. "Thank you, Gaara." He turned away. "It's nothing." "No, really," the sincerity in her voice startled him. He only brought her to his place to prevent her from catching a cold. Was it really that large of an action?_

_"For being here."_

_The loneliness in her eyes was one he had seen before._

_"You're welcome."_


	8. Sunflowers

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

_**07: sunflowers** _

 

Tenten watches with an aching heart as her first kunai leaves in the hands of a blonde girl. She can see that the girl will be a great weapons user, and she is honored that  _she_ is the reason why.

 _"I want to be like you when I grow up_ ," the girl had said, " _I want to become an amazing weapons goddess like you!_ " Tenten sees herself in the child; her own twelve-year-old self admiring the legendary Tsunade, feeling too small to fit in her larger shadow, and eventually stopped trying to be Tsunade and be herself. She wishes the girl's journey would be a peaceful one, as peaceful as a shinobi's can be, anyway.

But a warless one, if possible.

Kami forbid the girl ever leaves the battleground with shaking hands and drops the weapons she used to hold so firmly, mountains of her comrades' bodies looming over her. Kami forbid the girl ends up like her.

Grabbing her bag, Tenten calls out, "I'm going out now!" A young woman peeks from the door. "My shift, then?"

Megumi is a young woman with long, dark brown hair and black eyes. Tenten took her in when Megumi was merely eight years old, which was ten years ago. Megumi was thrown away by her family after accidentally killing her brother by her own hand. Since then, Tenten helped her with her fear of weapons, and taught her everything she knew. Megumi is now a jonin, but helps her occasionally with her shop.

"Yeah," Tenten smiles. Megumi sighs when she catches the wistful look in Tenten's eyes. "Which flower will it be today?" Tenten chuckles. Looking at the daughter she never had, she replies, "sunflowers." 

"Alone?" Megumi asks, and Tenten freezes. It has been a while since she visited Neji's grave alone; someone always accompanied her. Whether it was Lee or Gai-sensei or even Hinata and Himawari, she always had someone with her. And now... it feels strange, facing him alone, even though she used to train with him alone, just the two of them, from dusk till dawn.

"Yes." A ghost of a smile lingers on Megumi's face. She can read Tenten like an open book. Sometimes, it hurts Tenten to evem look at her because Megumi's demeanor reminds her so much of Neji. Controlled, reserved, but kind.

Maybe... in another life... Megumi could've been _their_ daughter.

"Good luck, kaa-chan." Tenten can't help but feel her heart warm at the title. "Thanks, Megumi. I'll be back soon."

She closes the door and makes her way to the flower shop.

* * *

 "Tenten-san!" A woman unknown to Tenten, probably one of Ino's workers, greet her. Tenten blushes slightly; she forgot the woman's name. "Hello," she says politely, "sunflowers, please." The woman nods cheerily and not five minutes later, Tenten leaves the shop with a few sunflowers dangling from her hands.

The cemetery is close, and she sees figures of Hinata and Himawari leave. She wants to call out to them, ask them to accompany her, when she herself doesn't know why she's so scared to face Neji on her own. She is thirty-four years old. He died seventeen years ago. That's half her life ago.

She's lived most of her life without him, but he had given her so much to remember, so much to feel, Tenten can't bring herself to forget his smile, forget his voice, forget _him_ , even though she is torturing herself in the process.

Because remembering him hurts more than anything.

She sees his name and almost calls out, only to stop halfway. He's not there. After seventeen years, his body is probably nothing more but dirt. What she would give to see his pearl-grey eyes and his small smile one more time, real in front of her, not untouchable in her memories.

"Hey," she says, and half-expects him to say it back. "It's been a while since I visited you by myself, I don't really know what to say anymore." A breathless laugh escapes her lips, and she stares wistfully at the slab of stone that bears his name. "I used to tell you stories, didn't I? Especially when I was in ANBU."

Those were the days she missed him the most.

"I really miss you, you know," she finally says, "your nephew and niece are growing up; I'm pretty sure your nephew is trying to set me up with the Kazekage." How ironic. The nephew of the man she loved her entire life is trying to make her fall for someone else. "I never told you how I felt, but..."

She smiles bitterly, brushing his name with calloussed fingers. "You already know."

Her cheeks are warm, and teardrops wet the sunflower petals.

"I--I wish I told you."

That way, her heart wouldn't be as heavy as it is now.


	9. Ashes From Fireworks

** Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea **

 

_**08: ashes from fireworks**_

 

"Stay safe." Naruto gives his friend a bright grin. Gaara responds with a faint smile. "Visit again soon," Tenten says, taking a step forward, as if about to embrace him, but pauses. "We'll be waiting." Temari smirks, seeing the small gesture. "Yeah," she drawls, "and not on Kazekage duty, hopefully." Gaara raises a brow with mild disinterest, but his eyes can't fool Temari anymore.

"See you, Gaara-ojii-sa--" flinching under Temari's murderous glare, Shikadai clears his throat. "Ojii-sama." He corrects rather nervously. Gaara bites back a chuckle. "Ja ne."

"Wait!"

Gaara pauses on his tracks, having barely even turned away. Tenten's arm lingers awkwardly in the air, reaching out to him. "I..." she swallows the lump in her throat with difficulty, "can we talk?" Kankuro snickers, and Shikadai looks at his father. Shikamaru looks slightly confused by the turn of events. Is he unaware with how close Tenten and Gaara have been? Shikadai makes a mental note to ask him about it later.

"Alone?" Naruto raises his arms in mock surrender and walk away, shaking his friend's hand firmly before poofing away in a cloud of smoke. Kankuro walks away first. Shikamaru takes his hands out of his pockets and gives Gaara a smile and a lazy wave before leaving with Temari and Shikadai, the latter glancing backwards one last time.

"I..." Tenten fidgets, meeting Gaara's eyes reluctantly. "Gaara, remember the missing nin you told me about?" His formerly confused look turns stone cold. "Yes." He replies, betraying no emotions. "Did you..." new fires of determination enter Tenten's brown eyes, "did you find out who he is?"

Gaara sighs. "Yes." Tenten's head snaps up. "Who? Who is he?"

"Not Hyuuga Neji."

Tenten staggers back. "But... from what I saw... from all those files--" confusion and hurt fills her face as she stares at Gaara. "It was--" "it wasn't him." Gaara's voice is firm. "He is a Hyuuga who was thrown away by his family before ever receiving the curse seal. He is a Branch Member, that guess of yours is correct. But he is not Hyuuga Neji."

_It can't be..._

_It was clearly him... I saw his eyes._

Merely four months ago, Tenten was sent on a mission to capture a Konoha missing nin who has the Byakugan. Due to her knowledge of the Byakugan's blind spot, she was chosen for the mission. The missing nin was in Suna at the time, and he was wearing a mask that showed only his eyes.

All Hyuuga clan members have the same opalescent eyes, but she knows Neji's eyes. Those were his eyes. 

_I was so sure..._

_Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me._

_Maybe I just miss him too much_ is the answer she refuses to think of. "After all this time..." Gaara smiles coldly, sending chills down Tenten's spine. His green eyes stare into her dark ones, diving deep into her soul. "It's always him you think about." Tenten freezes.

"Gaara--"

"I'll take my leave now."

He turns on his heel.

"Gaara, wait!"

"He's gone, Tenten." He is quiet, and she feels guilt gnaw at her heart. "He's been gone for a long time. And yet, you haven't accepted it yet." "I have!" She cries out, sounding like a plea. "I just..."

"You can ask Temari for my next visit." He informs her, steely. "I have to go."

"Gaara, please."

_I can't have you leave me, too._

"You never told me, Tenten, but I've always known." He says, his back towards her. "Even from the very start, that night at the training grounds, I knew from the very second you asked me to stay, it wasn't directed to me. It was directed to him." Gaara can't place the pain that attacks him when he tells her this. "You've always said that you two were teammates, but I'm not a fool. I know you were something more."

"We were never--"

"You may have never told told him, but deep down, I'm sure he knows." His lips curl into a faint smile he knows Tenten can't see. "You've never been good at hiding your feelings." Tenten smiles sadly, tears welling in her eyes. So many things she wants to say... none escape her lips.

"It's a recurring problem for me," she murmurs. "I'll see you soon, Gaara." He turns his head slightly, enough for her to see the slight curve of his lips. "See you soon, Tenten."

Tenten watches as he goes farther and farther away, and prays for his return.


	10. Flowers Blooming in the Shadows

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

**_09: flowers blooming in the shadows_ **

 

"Oh?" Shikamaru raises a brow, glancing at his son. "You want to know what happened between Tenten and Hyuuga Neji?" Shikadai nods firmly as he moves yet another shogi piece. Shikamaru sighs.

"Tenten and Neji were teammates. I don't know much about them, but I do know that they were very close. There were also rumors flying around back then that they were lovers." Shikadai's eyes widen.  _Really?  "_ They cared very much about each other. But then, Neji sacrificed himself to protect Naruto and Hinata, and Tenten didn't look the least bit affected."

Shikamaru shakes his head in both pity and regret. "I know she was hiding it, of course. A few days after Neji's funeral, I went back there to visit Asuma and my father, and I saw Tenten. She was in front of Neji's grave, crying. I had never seen her so broken." Shikamaru moves a piece. "I assume she was in love with him, and that Neji is the reason why Tenten can't bring herself to love Gaara back."

Shikadai's green eyes almost bulge out of his sockets. "You mean--" "don't tell me you can't see how your uncle feels about her, Shikadai," Shikamaru drawls, dark eyes twinkling. "I'm sure the goodbyes yesterday made everything clear for you."

"Shikamaru! Inojin! Shikadai!" The voice clearly belonging to Ino calls out cheerily, and Shikamaru sighs. "And she's back." Shikadai chuckles at his father's bored look, but can't help wondering how Shikamaru used to look at her when she was his everything.

The pair head to the front, where Ino and Sai are chatting with Temari, hands intertwined. Inojin walks towards them, and the couple smile at the sight of their son. "Inojin!" Ino shrieks, and hugs her son tightly. "Kaa-chan," Inojin mutters, blushing faintly. Sai hugs Inojin after Ino and give the Nara a grateful smile. "Thanks for taking care of him."

"Yeah, you're welcome," Temari says with a mischievous grin, "looks like you really needed that break." Ino turns bright red. Shikadai notices that Ino-obaa-san is glowing; it's obvious that she and Sai-ojii-san had done some lovely things in bed while they were away.

"We should be heading back now," Sai says, "it's getting dark." "Yeah," Shikamaru says, hands in his pockets and slouching unhealthily. He meets Ino's sky blue eyes, and she smiles at him. "Thanks again, guys."

Inojin bows politely to Shikamaru and Temari, and waves at Shikadai. "Ja ne!" The Yamanaka leaves, walking inbetween his parents, Ino telling him about their trip animatedly (obviously leaving out the part Inojin really, _really_ wants to hear).

"Ino looks amazing," Temari comments, chuckling to herself. "Seems like Inojin might be getting a little sibling soon." "Aa," Shikamaru agrees, "a second child would be good."

Temari blushes.

Shikadai walks back in, taking a new shogi board and emptying the small bag of the shogi pieces. A paper falls along with them, and his brows furrow. "What..." taking the paper and flipping it, Shikadai gapes.

Shikamaru and Ino.

His father and aunt were holding each other, a rare smile decorating his father's face. They looked happy, so happy. His arm was wrapped around her waist, and Ino was laughing. There were two dango sticks in her hand. 

_Tou-chan still keeps this...?_

Shikadai's heart races. He _has_ to know. There's no turning back now. He's going to talk to Ino-obaa-san tomorrow; it's about time.

* * *

She wakes up feeling far more exhausted than usual. She did do some heavy training with Lee yesterday, but all her muscles are aching, and this doesn't normally happen. Her doorbell rings, and she groans. "This early?" It's six thirty in the morning. _I used to wake up at four thirty every morning_ , she reprimands herself, but moves tiredly to open the door.

The call of "Tenten-chan!" overlaps with "Tenten-obaa-chan!", and she grimaces. She is not ready for Himawari's ball of sunshine at this time of day. She just needs her coffee and has the uncontrollable urge to throw her weapons and stab someone. "Not a good morning," she mumbles and opens the door.

Himawari's small figure hugs her excitedly. "Good morning, Tenten-obaa-chan!" "Good morning," she yawns. "I'm sorry to trouble you so early, Tenten-chan," Hinata says apologetically, "but I have a meeting at the Hyuuga Compound and I can't take Himawari with me."

_Oh no._

"Sure, it's no problem at all!"

_It's a big problem!_

"Thank you so much, Tenten-chan! We'll go get some Chinese dumplings once I come back, I promise." The prospect of eating Chinese dumplings for free brightens her up instantly. "Yeah, thanks!" It's just for the day, anyway.

Himawari hugs her mother and waves goodbye cheerfully. Tenten closes the door and heaves a deep breath. "Ne, Tenten-obaa-chan, can you please tell me stories about Neji-ojii-chan?"

Tenten's heart warms at Himawari's big blue eyes, and guides the girl to her bedroom. Himawari gasps when she sees the picture of Team Gai. But seeing the pictures just make her hurt all over again, and she gives Himawari a sad smile.

 "I'm sorry, honey, but I don't think I can do that."


	11. Sad Songs

  **Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

_ **10: sad songs** _

 

"We aren't going any further, 'ttebasa," Boruto complains, taking a large bite out of his hamburger in annoyance. "I know," Sarada sighs, "but this isn't easy. It takes time." "It'll be harder now that Gaara-ojii-san's gone." Shikadai adds. "Maa, this is all so troublesome."

"At least we've got it all confirmed, haven't we?" Denki says, trying his best to stay positive. "Tenten-san was in love with Hyuuga Neji-san but he passed away, leaving Tenten-san unable to return the Kazekage's feelings." Iwabe scoffs. "She should just let him go already. He's been gone for years now. Why can't she just move on?"

Inojin glances at his classmate with mild annoyance, but, in rare occurence, bites his tongue. Love isn't that easily taken away, not even by death. If it were that easy, much less people would be suffering now.

"But I've noticed a change," Inojin switches the topic, "I see Tenten-san in my mom's shop this morning; apparently, she's been visiting Hyuuga Neji's grave more often since Kazekage-sama went back to Suna."

"Does she even have feelings for Kazekage-sama?" It is Mitsuki who asks the unavoidable question, and Shikadai lets out a long-suffering sigh, picking on his food. "I don't know." 

"You know what!" Boruto slams his fist on the table, making all eyes turn to him. "We're going to go with Sarada's plan right now!" Sarada gapes at him. "Sit down, baka Boruto!" She snaps, blushing furiously. "Shikadai and Inojin, you guys go to the cemetery and fake visiting your grandparents. Now."

Shikadai groans and stands up, hands in his pockets. "This is all such a drag." Inojin nods. "Let's go, then."

"Everybody else, be careful. Don't be seen." Sarada warns, and they make their quiet steps to the cemetery.

Inojin and Shikadai walk towards Yamanaka Inoichi and Nara Shikaku's graves, which are quite close to Hyuuga Neji's. Tenten is kneeling before Neji's gravestone, either unaware of them being there or just simply not caring. She traces the yellow tulips, smiling sadly. Her voice is so quiet, Shikadai and Inojin have to strain to hear her.

"...honestly."

Crap! Did they just miss an important confession?

"I really thought it was you, but it's not." She laughs to herself, sounding bitter. "Maybe my eyes were just messing with me. Or you're messing with my head. But I was so, so sure it was you." She picks up a single flower and twirls it sadly. "I wish I don't miss you as much as I do."

It'll make things so much easier for me, she thinks. Maybe if she has told him about her feelings, she wouldn't feel so guilty, so cheated by his death, and she can move on. But the chains are holding her back. But, in all honesty, she'd rather her than him. If he can go free but she is caged in his stead, then so be it.

He's always been better than her, anyways.

"I'm losing my mind," she whispers, "and now Gaara's back in Suna, and here I am, talking to a gravestone." Her dark eyes are filled with what could only be said as longing. "Can you hear me, Neji?" Shikadai feels a pang on his heart at her voice. There is no doubt now. Tenten was, and still is in love with Hyuuga Neji.

"Of course you can't," she murmurs. "You're soaring in the skies and I'm down here." Brushing the yellow tulips one more time, she stands and smiles, bittersweet. "I hope you're enjoying your flight, Neji."

She turns around, and gasps. She was too engrossed in talking to him that she never realized the two boys kneeling before their grandparents' graves. "Inojin, Shikadai." The two look up, hoping that their cover hasn't been blown. "Tenten-san." They chorus.

 "You're visiting Inoichi-san and Shikaku-san?" Tenten muses, distracting herself from her pain. "They were great men."

Shikadai's heart begins to pound. Tenten is close to Ino. They were comrades, fellow rookies. This could be his only chance...

"Tenten-san, I was wondering if you could tell me more about the relationship between Ino-obaa-san and my father." He blurts out. Inojin looks at him, wide-eyed in surprise, while Tenten frowns. "I don't think it's my place to tell you, Shikadai." The boy frowns. "No one will tell me otherwise. Please, Tenten-san."

Tenten sighs. "Shikamaru and Ino... they were lovers."

Shikadai clenches his fists. That part is inevitable. "Back then, I wasn't so close to them, but I knew that Ino really loved Shikamaru. But they were forbidden. The Yamanaka can't marry the Nara in order to keep the Ino-Shika-Cho tradition. At first, they tried to fight it. But then he grew closer to Temari."

Both boys wait for her to continue with bated breath. 

"Some may call it out falling out of love. Shikamaru began to harbor feelings for Temari; understandable with the amount of time they spend together as Chunin Exam proctors. Ino still flirts with other men, most notably Sai, but when she noticed Shikamaru going more distant..." Tenten looks thoughtful as she turns her gaze to the sky. "That's kind of when we became friends. She confided in me about him seemingly falling out of love with her, just when she was still hurt about the entire Sasuke ordeal and trying to heal with Shikamaru. She was really hurt."

"I don't know how she moved on, but I suspect it had something to do with when Sai was under Gengo's control. They became closer after that, and eventually fell in love. I don't know the exact details, but I can assure you boys; Ino and Shikamaru are wholly devoted to Sai and Temari. Whatever was between them, they left in the past. But if you guys need more closure, I suggest you talk about it openly with them."

Tenten stands. "I hope you guys got your answer. Ja ne!"

Waving cheerfully, she leaves the cemetery, and the boys are rendered speechless.


	12. A Silver Scar

  **Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

_**11: a silver scar** _

 

"Our next move should be..." Denki trails off, glancing at Shikadai, who is invested in his shogi, and Inojin, who looks deep in thought. Ever since their little 'mission' of spying on Tenten, they seem off, and that was a week ago. "I don't know," Shikadai drawls, not even bothering to look up. "But I think we're on a dead end."

"There's no such thing as a dead end, 'ttebasa!" Boruto says, jumping up, ignoring the confused glances sent their way. "We're gonna find Tenten-obaa-san a man!"

"What part of dead end do you not understand?" Those are the first words Inojin said in their gathering. Looking inexplicably annoyed, he continues. "Baka Boruto, we already told you. She's in love with Hyuuga-san, and we can't possibly bring him back to life. Trying to pry her away from someone she loves isn't a good thing."

"But he's already dead!" Boruto argues. Sarada hides her gasp. How can the boy be so _stupid_? Inojin clenches his fists. "We're doing this for her own good." Iwabe speaks up. "She can have a better life with Gaara-sama instead of just moping around over a lost love." Inojin glares at the taller boy. "And if she doesn't love him, what difference will it make?"

"What's going on, Inojin-kun?" Denki questions politely, trying to calm the situation. "You're not usually like this." Inojin sighs. "I'm gonna go." "I'm coming with you." Shikadai packs up his shogi board and walks away with Inojin, giving his friends a lazy wave.

"What's his deal?" Boruto scoffs. "Maybe it's family problems." Mitsuki suggests, and Boruto jumps. Mitsuki has been so silent all this time, he almost forgets that he is even there. "I did hear from kaa-chan that Ino-obaa-san hasn't been feeling well lately." Sarada pipes up, stealing worried glances to the door. "She returned from her trip three weeks ago, and now she's a little sick. Maybe Inojin's more stressed out."

"Yeah," Boruto says, "I haven't seen her around as much. She's usually everywhere." Mitsuki hums, making the awkward silence add. Sarada stands up quickly, almost knocking down her empty plate. "I have to go, everyone!"

Seeing the unconscious smile that has made its way onto her face, Boruto finds himself grinning, too. "Why?" Sarada's eyes light up. "Papa's coming home!"

* * *

"Mama, I'm pretty sure Papa doesn't eat that much." Sarada mutters, staring at the tomato soup sitting quietly on the dining table while her mother bustles to prepare more food. "Oh, your father's bringing guests this time round." Sakura says with a smile. "His teammates are on vacation and demanded they come along."

Sarada's childish grin widens at the thought of her father's teammates. Last time, she only met the sharky Suigetsu and the giant, Juugo. "Sasuke-kun even told me to make okonomiyaki. I wonder who it's for, though."

Just in time, there is a knock on the door. "I'll get it!" Sarada exclaims, rushing to the door and almost tripping in her excitement. Opening the door, she comes face-to-face with a woman. Her hair is long and red and shaved on one side. Her eyes are equally crimson, and her red-rimmed glasses are similar to Sarada's. But she isn't looking at her; she is currently snapping at a white-haired male.

"I told you to apologize, so come here and do it! Or do you not have the balls to--" "not in front of my daughter," her father's deep voice says quietly, and the name that escapes Sasuke's lips makes Sarada's insides twist in both curiosity and excitement.

"Karin."

Karin whirls around, meeting Sarada's dark eyes. She softens immediately, a soft smile on her face. "Sarada-chan." She greets, and her fiery presence becomes mellower somehow. "It's been a long time since I last saw you. You're all grown up now!"

"Karin-san," Sarada stammers. She doesn't know what to say, despite her racing heart. However, Karin turns and whacks Suigetsu's head. "Say you're sorry, fish breath!" Sarada's eyes widen at the relationship between Karin and Suigetsu. She has a feeling that they do this a lot. "Sorry, Sarada." Says Suigetsu sheepishly.

Sarada nods. "It's fine." Actually, it isn't, but she has to behave. Suigetsu seems like a nice enough guy, anyway. "Sasuke-kun!" Sakura runs from the kitchen to the door, and stares on, slightly surprised at the identities of their visitors. "Sakura." Sasuke greets. Sakura's eyes land on Karin, and smiles. "Karin, Suigetsu, Juugo-san." Suigetsu pouts. Karin slams her fist onto his head, and Sarada gasps in surprise.

His head turns to water.

"That's the Hoozuki kekkei genkai. Weird." Karin informs the confused girl, snorting at Suigetsu's sneer. "Can we come in?"

"Of course!" Sakura says, and steps aside. The very moment she steps into the house, Karin gapes. "You made okonomiyaki?" Her eyes are filled with adoration as she walks to the dining table, glued to the plate of okonomiyaki. Getting herself a plate, she grins. "Itadakimasu!"

* * *

 "Woah!" Karin hushes Suigetsu, leaning against a tree with a bag full of sake bottles. "I can't believe you actually brought these!" Karin rolls her eyes. "Please. We're staying in Sasuke's house for what, two nights before we go to Kiri? I'm definitely gonna need these." Suigetsu smirks. "Share?"

Karin snickers, but doesn't reply. Suigetsu takes this as an invitation and grabs a bottle, taking a swig. Karin gulps the sake and it burns her throat, but it gives her temporary satisfaction and that's good enough. "To sake." Karin says with a sad smile. "Cause it heals everything." Suigetsu grins. "To sake."

They don't see Sarada watching sadly from her bedroom window.


	13. Another Life

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

_**12: another life** _

 

"Thank you so much, Inojin! The flower shop is thriving. You know the meanings of flowers very well already." Ino wipes the sweat off her forehead, swaying slightly. Inojin takes a step forward in alarm, but she waves her hand dismissively. "I'm feeling much better now. A cold and a stomach bug isn't a good combination." She sighs as she pats a lily. 

Inojin frowns at his mother's stubborness. She is obviously not fully alright, and his father had been extremely reluctant to leave her for a mission. Ino had insisted that she will be fine, especially now that her cold has gotten better. But Inojin still isn't sure.

"By the way, Inojin, it's kind of rare that you're not out with your friends. Is anything wrong?" Even without her jutsu, his mother has always been proficient in reading minds.

"My opinion and theirs differ." She rauses a brow. "On what?" Taking advantage of the currently empty flower shop, Inojin begins. "Boruto and the others are trying to get Tenten-san to date Gaara-sama."

Instead of the usual amusement in his mother's eyes whenever Inojin mentions some gossip, there is conflict. "I don't think that's right." "And why do you think that?" Asks Ino softly, even though Inojin knows that Ino is fully aware of the answer.

"Tenten-san is in love with Neji-san. I know that he's gone and all, but feelings can't be changed so easily. It's obvious that she's devoted to him, and yet everyone is acting like her feelings can be pried away without hurting herself in the process. Those fools. If that was possible, why didn't she do it herself in the first place? I know it's for her own good, but this is love we're talking about. The strongest emotion. If we toy with that... it won't end well."

By the end of his rant, Ino has a warm palm on top of her son's hair, ruffling it affectionately. "I agree with you," she muses. "Being a gossip is one thing; meddling with one's life is another. I've known Tenten since we were naïve little shinobi. She's stubborn, and keeps torturing herself with images of what could have been. But at the same time, it builds her up and makes her stronger. Pain makes us stronger, even though it breaks us in the process."

All of a sudden, Ino doubles over, hand folding over her stomach. "Kaa-san?" Inojin scrambles up to catch his mother. "Kaa-san, what's wrong?" Ino's eyes grow dazed and close, making Inojin gasp in panic.

"Kaa-san!"

* * *

"Sakura-obaa-san, what's wrong with my kaa-san?" Sakura smiles, the green healing glow dimming from her palm. "There's nothing wrong with your mother, Inojin. Don't worry." "But..." Inojin frowns. "I'm sure people don't normally faint from colds--"

"Ino!" Sai rushes into the room, dropping his scroll and running towards his unconscious wife, anxiety plastered all over his normally emotionless face. "I heard that Ino fainted. What happened while I was gone?" This is a rare display of emotion; Sai's feelings are so clearly written on his face. Ino truly has succeeded in returning his emotions back to him.

"Kaa-san and I were talking, and then she just passed out. I don't know--" "Sakura." Sai says. "What's wrong with Ino? Her stomach bug was getting better when I left--" "it's not a stomach bug." Sakura informs them, a grin on her face. "Congratulations, you guys. Ino is pregnant."

Inojin's jaw drops.

Sai's cheeks heat up.

"She's a month along, so I don't think it's from the little vacation." Red fills up Sai's pale cheeks. "Aha!" Inojin glares at them accusingly. "It's before that! I couldn't sleep because you guys were so loud!" Sakura sighs at Inojin's accusation. "Yeah... Sarada couldn't sleep last night, too. Apparently, our guests got a little too cozy."

"I'm surprised it's not you, Ugly," Sai says, faking a smile that leaves a tick mark on Sakura's forehead. "Uchiha's been gone for a long time, I'm surprised you have the self control to not pounce on him--" "Sai, your son's here!" Sakura snaps, cheeks flaming. "I know." Inojin reassures, but it doesn't seem to help the situation. 

Ino groans, finally awake, and three pairs of eyes snap toward her instantly. "How are you feeling?" Sai asks, helping her sit. "Not good." Ino grimaces. "I have a headache, and... Kami forbid, I think I'm gonna--" she staggers to her feet and runs to the bathroom with outstanding speed, and almost immediately, retching sounds can be heard.

"And here comes the nausea." Sakura says sympatherically. "Sorry, guys. I'm cooking fish right now, so..." A sudden thud on the ground makes them all run to the bathroom. Ino is on her knees, holding away her hair. "Don't tell me," she murmurs, voice hoarse. Sai is immediately by her side, holding her shoulders. "You're pregnant," he whispers by her ear, "Inojin's going to have a little sibling."

The thought rushes through Inojin. Little sibling. He has been an only child for twelve years; how would he live now? But a sister. He would like a sister.

"I'll tell the Hokage I won't be open for long-term missions tomorrow," Sai tells his family, "I'll make sure you're always alright." Ino beckons Inojin, and the three huddle into a small group hug in Sakura's bathroom. Inojin has never felt this warm.

The pink-haired woman can't help but feel a twinge of envy. Sai is always reluctant to leave Ino's side...

Her husband had left her and her daughter without even a single letter.

But she's glad that Ino is happy. She has another life growing inside her now, after all.


	14. Teach Me How to Breathe

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

_**13: teach me how to breathe** _

 

Tenten sits in a booth with Temari, Sakura, Ino, Karui and Hinata. While she smiles and congratulates Ino's pregnancy, she silently mourns for the life that she longs for but will never have. The life that she had the chance of living but got taken away from her seventeen years ago.

Ino catches her friend's eye and sees the unspoken pain in her dark irises. "Tenten," she says suddenly, "can we talk?" "I'll drink your shot for you." Temari offers brightly, and Ino rolls her eyes fondly. Tenten stands and follows her outside. The sun seems so dark to her.

"Are you okay?" Ino's voice is so gentle, Tenten feels extremely guilty for being jealous of her. Ino, by all means, hasn't had it easy. She lost her sensei, her father. But Ino mends the people around her, spreads her beauty to everyone like the flower she has grown to be. Tenten is born to kill. She plays with weapons and washes the blood off her hands like it's nothing at all.

No one sees her break at night.

"I'm fine."

And there goes her fake smile. Ino sees how Tenten's lips quiver, her eyes watery as she forces every inch of her being to look happy but she just fails so miserably because her mask has finally broken.

"Ten-chan..." she wraps her arms around the older woman, and a choked sob escapes Tenten. "W--why?" She whispers, sounding so hopeless, it breaks Ino's heart. "All I wanted was--I wanted to be--"

_I want to be a mother._

And in that moment, she mourns for the wedding band she knows she will never get to wear, the white dress she has dreamed of wearing ever since she was a little girl, the family she will never get to build, the hand she will never hold again, her womb that will never hold another life; a part of her and him.

"Shh," Ino murmurs, rubbing her back. "It'll be okay." She knows it won't, but makes herself smile again for the sake of her best friend. "I'm sorry," Tenten mutters, wiping her eyes hastily. "I shouldn't have." "It's alright," Ino reassures her gently, placing a soft hand on Tenten's shoulder. "I can't even imagine how much pain you're feeling right now. You shouldn't hold it all in, Tenten."

I won't.

"Yeah," she manages, "I think I'll have to leave early. I'm sor--" "no more apologies." Ino says firmly. "You did nothing wrong." Ino squeezes her shoulder and gives her a kind smile. "Go, Tenten."

"...thank you."

She doesn't feel the invisible hand linger on her shoulder, trying to tell her that he has never really left her.

* * *

"What?"

"Let me transfer to Suna." She says, her tone leaving no room for argument. "I have nothing left here." Naruto frowns. "Your shop--" "I've given it to Megumi." Naruto looks thoughtful for a moment. "Megumi... she's an excellent jonin. What if I make her ANBU?" "Then I'll buy a shop there and move." Tenten replies a little too easily.

Naruto sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose with a bandaged hand. "Tenten, Neji wouldn't want you to--" "he's dead, and dead people don't want anything." Tenten's reply is cold and the image of Neji crashing to the ground with wooden projectiles piercing through him flashes in both their minds. "Let me go, Naruto." She doesn't address him with the formality she almost always does, and he knows.

"I suppose." He breathes out, albeit reluctantly. "When will you be ready?" Tenten's smile is small and bittersweet. "Two days." Naruto gives her a supportive grin, if not a little sad. "Use those two days well. Visit. We'll visit you, that's for sure. Himawari's gonna miss you very much."

"Thank you."

She steps out of the office and walks to the cemetery with careful, heavy steps. She sees his name, picks some wildflowers and lays it upon his grave. Stone is permanent. Death is permanent.

"You aren't coming back," the realization hurts more than she thought it would have, "and neither am I." Accidental tears leak through her eyes and slip down her cheeks. "Be well while I'm gone. I..."

_I miss you._

"I'll be leaving for Suna." She informs nothingness. "Maybe I can find at least some peace there." He must be so ashamed of her now. The brave, cheerful Tenten has been reduced to nothing but a pathetic shell of her old self. "I'm not sure if I'll come back," she speaks slowly, unsure. "But I'll try."

_Come back to me._

"I--" she breaks down, burying her face in her hands, unable to face him. "I'm sorry," she almost can't hear herself, "it just hurts so _much_." Her heart wrenches and her insides twist, she's tearing herself apart. Maybe she's being stupid. Maybe she's being rash. Maybe she's overreacting. But she's stood the pain this long, she can't stand it any longer. She's never been the strongest person, anyway.

It's like she's drowning in an ocean of lost hope and sorrows, she's being pulled down and she can't even breathe.

A flap of wings makes her look up. Tilting its head in an almost melancholic way, a bird has sat on Neji's grave, making a small sound. An unconscious smile makes its way on her face as she pats its head with as much affection as she can muster. It flies away, taking everything with it.

* * *

"Tenten-obaa-chan!" Himawari clings to her stubbornly, tears streaming down her face. "I don't want you go!" "Please don't leave, Tenten-chan." Hinata pleads, trying to calm her devastated daughter. "There must be another option." Tenten's eyes are sad. "I'm sorry, but I've made my decision."

"Kaa-chan..." she gives Megumi a tight hug, and feels something warm settle in the last bits of her heart. Even though she was never been a biological mother, Megumi is and has always been her daughter. And she's truly sorry that she can't erase her pain and be there for her daughter. "I'll take missions to Suna," Megumi vows, "they won't dare to refuse me." Tenten barks out a laugh. "Of course they won't."

Lee and Metal are crying, so is Gai-sensei, and Tenten gives each of them a hug. "You must stay safe, Tenten!" Lee says inbetween tears, "you must not let your springtime of youth fade!" Tenten laughs brokenly, a memory of the old days of Team Gai. "Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna miss you guys so much." Metal is rendered unable to speak. Kakashi and her share a nod.

Boruto's cerulean eyes are downcast. "Tenten-obaa-san..." he murmurs, and Tenten holds his shoulders. "Be a good boy for your mom, okay? Play some more pranks on your dad, his back needs exercise." His face brightens up a little. "I'm sorry." He doesn't need to say what for, she already knows. "It's fine," she waves off. "I'll be leaving now."

Sakura and Sasuke bid her goodbye, Ino crushes her in a last hug, Sai politely nods at her. Inojin and Shikadai wave sadly, Shikamaru looks conflicted but says his goodbyes, so does Temari, who tells Tenten to take care of her brothers for her. Sarada comes along, looking close to tears. Why? She doesn't know. Kiba, Shino, Choji, Karui, Chocho all wishes her well, and she leaves the village with a ghost of a smile.

Maybe she can renew herself in the sand.


	15. Dear Neji

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

**_14: dear neji_ **

 

"I must say, I was rather surprised when I heard from Naruto that you'll be transferring here." Gaara looks up from his paperwork, an unreadable expression on his face. Tenten grins brightly, the sight of Gaara alone lifting some of the weight on her shoulders. "Hello to you too, Kazekage-sama."

Gaara's little façade breaks when he lets a small smile dance across his lips. "Hello, Tenten." She laughs. "There we go. I just thought I needed a change of scenery, you know, after everything..."

Kankuro snorts from next to Gaara. "You could've just moved here ten years ago and married this guy." He shoulders Gaara playfully, smiling smugly when he sees the faint blush on both their faces. "Don't joke like that." The redhead reprimands him. "I've prepared a house for you." Tenten nods. "Thank you. The money--"

"You don't have to worry about that." He says, not unkindly. "I've taken care of it." She snaps up in protest. "But--" "more people need weapons in Suna. We haven't truly passed our warring times, unlike Konoha. You'll be able to make more money here, aside from just a change of scenery." Gratefulness well into her heart. "Thank you, Gaara."

He raises his head and a ghost of a smile lingers on his face. "For being here?"

She hears a laugh that sounds tearful, and it takes her a moment to realize that the laugh had come from her.

After all this time, every time she thanks him, it's always for being here. But every time she says it, she feels like thorns and vines are threatening to draw blood from her heart. Because it doesn't feel like thanking Gaara, it feels like comparing him to Neji. The one person who promised her that he would stay, but left after playing the noble hero. Dying for everyone to ensure their future and unknowingly, or maybe even knowingly, destroying her future in the process.

She's blaming him for her sorrows, when it's truly her own fault. So she's trying to hang on to Gaara, who never promised her anything and yet always stays with her. Guilt crawls in.

Kankuro wisely steps out and closes the door. The very moment he leaves, Gaara walks away from his desk and pulls her close. She doesn't resist. "For everything," she whispers against his chest. She cannot see the smile that is created because of her. If she had, she would know that it is the most beautiful thing in the world.

"You don't ever have to thank me, Tenten."

For once, there is no pain in her heart.

* * *

The pen moves faster than she thought it would have. A dull kunai sits patiently on the table next to the paper, and she gives it a small smile before she pours her feelings, her broken heart, all her joys and her sorrows into ink.

_Dear Neji,_

_This seems stupid, but someone once told me that writing is the best path to healing. So here I am. How are you doing? I hope freedom is doing you well. Your wings are made of steel now, no wind can ever blow you away. I hope you still remember me._

_I remember that one time when you saved me from Kisame's water prison. I was feeling so damn lightheaded, but I was jumping on the inside. Kami, and I thought I was being subtle!_

_Writing isn't as easy as I imagined it to be. Heh._

_I tortured myself after you were gone. I live with weapons, and being the creative person I am, I made excuses to test their sharpness and lethality on my own skin. If you were watching... and even if you weren't, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I let all the grief bury the Tenten that you knew six feet underground with you. I can remember thousands of times I sit in front of your grave as ANBU, bringing your favorite._

_Eating herring soba still hurts until now._

_Maybe it's because I never told you the truth about how I felt. Maybe I was stupidly waiting for you to make the first move. But even then, things would still have turned out this way, wouldn't it?_

_When you fell, I didn't know what to think, so I didn't think at all. It's only years later, when the pain has finally struck and threaten to swallow me whole, I dream about that day over and over and over again until the image of your dead body is burned into my mind. I never felt so numb._

_The reason why I joined ANBU was because I wanted to feel alive. Every time I killed, every time I got blood on my hands, every time I 'accidentally' cut a weapon on myself, I felt alive. And I know you must be so disappointed in me because your old teammate never would've chosen to torture others and herself._

_I hate how I can manage to find sadness in other people's joy._

_When Naruto and Hinata got married (I'm sure you don't mind, and they have two kids now, one of them named after you, by the way), I was broken. This is going to be so embarrassing, but oh well. I wanted to marry you. And seeing the two people you sacrificed your life to protect get married hurt a lot._

_And then I met Gaara._

_Well, we've met a couple times before that. But then I started feeling something. I don't know what it is, and it doesn't come close to what I feel for you, but it grows. Every time I see him, the heaviness in my heart just lifts somehow._

_I hope you know that I've been both happy and sad while you're gone. I have someone who calls me kaa-chan, and the first time she called me that was at the anniversary of your death. She was nine. I cried like a baby. Her name is Megumi. She's a lot like you, you know. She's smart, she can be a little snobby sometimes, and doesn't like to show her emotions that much. And I can't help the treacherous thoughts that in another life, she's our daughter instead._

_I've also been broken._

_But I want to tell you that I love you, I miss you. Hinata and Hanabi are working hard to make sure that your Caged Bird seal will be the last on any living Hyuuga. No more branch, no more main. I know you'll be pleased._

_Healing takes a long time, maybe years. Seventeen years I thought I spent healing turned out to be inflicting more pain to myself. Guide me, Neji. Moving away from Konoha to Suna seems to be a good choice. Away from the ghosts that seem to linger and never leave. I won't be seeking death like my ANBU days, but wait until the day I return._

_I hope you can be proud of me again._

_Tenten._

She takes the letter, Neji's old kunai, and lets the flames engulf them both.


	16. What We Thought Was Real

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

_**part II** _

_**15: what we thought was real** _

 

Honestly, it has been quite a while since Tenten went out and had a drink with friends. Now, she is back to enjoying the temporary delight sake has given her, staggering around with Kankuro while Gaara watches them in both amusement in concern. Tenten is laughing extremely loudly, and so is Kankuro, the sounds hurting Gaara's ears. He really shouldn't have let them drink this much. He needs Temari to slap them back to reality.

Tenten staggers outside, and Kankuro makes retching gestures, making the woman throw her empty glass at him. Gaara gives the bartender a slightly apologetic glance. 

He really shouldn't have let them drink _at all_.

Tenten's palm presses against the alley walls, and vomits every single drop of alcohol in her system, which is a lot. Her vision is blurry, her head is pounding and she is starting to regret drinking that much sake. Maybe she should've just stayed at her new home.

"Damn you, Kankuro," she murmurs, and starts retching again.

Leaning against the wall, she sighs. Knowing medical ninjutsu would be real handy right now. She closes her eyes and lets herself drift off, but not asleep. She feels a presence behind her, but ignores it. It feels familiar. Not a threat, then. 

* * *

 

_"Where is he!" Lee cried out, "where's Neji?" Tenten looked at her teammate tiredly. "What do you mean, Lee?" She asked, rubbing her eyes. It had been a while since she used the Basoshen, but it felt like all the power had been sucked out of her._

_Maybe it's because her teammate was dead._

_"The medics can't find his body! He's missing!" Tenten stood up, ignoring the pain of her throbbing ankle. "You mean someone took--" "this is unforgivable!" Lee wailed, and Tenten's heart wrenched. Taking him away from her wasn't enough, now he couldn't even get a proper burial?_

_"We'll go help them find it, then."_

_The memories of the Infinite Tsukuyomi flooded back into her mind like a painful mockery._

"The fact that I am alive and the world is safe is all thanks to you."

_She hated that she had fallen victim to the Infinite Tsukuyomi, her loved ones luring her into staying in the death trap. But Neji's warm eyes, his kind smile and his hands on her shoulders was everything she had ever dreamed of. Her own wishes used against her._

_Pushing herself to her feet, she gripped her kunai with shaky, worn hands and turned to Lee. "Let's go." Lee's wide, round eyes softened at his teammate's expressionless face. "Tenten..." "do you want to help find him or not?" She snapped, before taking a deep breath. Her distress was obvious, but Lee couldn't even imagine how she felt. While he let his tears flow, she kept it all inside. All the bottled-up sorrows... what if she broke apart?_

_"I swear," he said firmly, "I will always protect you in Neji's stead." It was what he would have wanted. Tenten wanted to tell him that his promise wasn't needed, but found no energy. Instead, she leaned back into the comfort of Lee's words, that, maybe, Neji had truly cared for her and wanted her safe._

_She walked out of the tent, Lee following. Like hell she was going to let some bastard steal his body._

* * *

"Are you alright?" A smooth baritone interrupts her walk down the memory lane. She lifts her head lazily. "Mm," she stumbles up, "peachy." His eyes meet hers.

Okay, that is definitely not Gaara.

"Can you walk?" "Stop fussing!" She says snippily, not feeling guilty the slightest for snapping at an innocent stranger. "You're drunk." His voice holds a hint of amusement. She snorts. "Perceptive."

"Are your friends inside?" He asks her, and she nods. "Yeah," she slurs, barely conscious. Damn, she really went overboard with her drinking. "I'll take you back to them. How do they look like?"

"The Kazekage and his brother," she waves an arm lazily. He chuckles, placing her arm around his shoulder. She looks at him, trying to make out his face in the dark.

The very second she does, with all the strength she has left, she pushes him away. "What the--" she murmurs. "I may be drunk but I'm still sober enough to know that this is a joke." _Maybe it's a puppet_. "What the fuck are you playing, Kankuro?"

"My name is not Kankuro," he says, slightly confused. "Then what?" _Pleasedon'tsayitpleasedon'tsayit--_ "Neji."

Tenten feels lightheaded. She's probably hallucinating, and the civilians are staring at her with judgemental eyes. _Look at that woman, pointing at nothingness, what an idiot._ "Your name can't be Neji," she manages, "you're dead."

It can't be. She and Lee found his body that day, and he clearly never crawled out of his grave. This is a prank, or maybe just her overactive imagination--

The last thing she sees before falling to the ground in an unconscious heap is an overly familiar pair of opalescent eyes.

 

 


	17. Everybody Lies

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

_**16: everybody lies** _

 

"Your name is..."

"Hyuuga Neji."

"You are a ninja of?"

"Konoha."

"And your teammates were?" The man pauses. His hand goes up to touch his unmarked forehead, brows furrowed. Gaara knows there is something wrong with him since he first carried Tenten back into the bar and told him that she had passed out. He had used his Byakugan on the way to Gaara's apartment, and Gaara was surprised to know that his Byakugan now has a longer range than before.

But he is more surprised to know that someone who is supposed to be _dead_ is now _alive_.

"I don't know."

It is confusing moments like this that makes Gaara tired of being Kazekage. "Does the name Rock Lee mean anything to you?" Gaara questions again. Neji shakes his head. "Maito Gai?" No. "Uzumaki Naruto?" There is a pause before he shakes his head. Gaara sighs. What, is he brainwashed? "Hyuuga Hinata?" No. "Tenten?"

Neji stops. His eyes are wide. Gaara hides his grimace with a poker face. He can't even remember the name of the person he died for, and yet the name Tenten seems to click a switch in his brain. Gaara impatiently waits for his answer, while Neji stays silent.

"I... I'm not sure."

"How did you lose your memory?"

This time, Neji answers smoothly. "The person who saved me said that once the Caged Bird seal is erased, my Byakugan will no longer activate. But since he managed to save me, I still trained my Byakugan. It took three years for my Byakugan to activate once more, and ten years to perfect it." Gaara raises a brow. "Who saved you? They saw your body, Hyuuga Neji. You were dead."

"I was." He agrees. "But the body they found wasn't mine. It was someone else's." Gaara's green eyes narrow. "Whose?" Before Neji can give an answer, Tenten runs into the room, slamming the door open. Her eyes are focused on Gaara. "Please tell me I was just hallucinating." She murmurs, sounding desperate.

Neji studies the woman from head to toe. She is beautiful, with dark hair and (currently frantic) sepia eyes. She looks disheveled, clearly suffering from a hangover. She is the woman from yesterday. For some reason, his heart skips a beat when he looks at her. Her face is familiar, even her presence is familiar. Somehow, he thinks of training fields, the sound of kunai hitting a tree trunk.

Maybe... she is...

_"There will be things that are difficult to remember, perhaps because you still subconsciously wanting to forget. But, as for the beautiful things... you will know."_

Maybe she had been the 'beautiful thing' in his life. Why else would she make him feel this way? All the names the Kazekage mentioned awakens no memories, even though he is sure that Gaara mentioned the name of the Hokage and a fellow Hyuuga. And yet, this woman, someone he has never seen before, makes him remember the blurry views of trees and targets.

"Look around," the woman turns to him as inhales shakily, disbelievingly. "Tenten."

She is Tenten.

 "You're lying," she mutters, "he's dead, he's dead, dead people don't go back to life--" "she's in shock," Gaara tells him, the very epitome of calm in this admittedly bewildering situation. "Give her some time." "It's been fourteen years," she says breathlessly, "there's absolutely no way, Gaara, tell me there's no way!" She sounds so desperate, it makes Neji's gut twist. His death had, and still has an effect on her, judging by the way she is acting. Maybe they had been--

No, erase that. Tenten and the Kazekage clearly has something going on. She takes a single step towards him, knees shaking, and Gaara walks next to her. He sends Neji a look; _leave_. Not unkindly. Neji knows that Gaara will want to be alone while comforting her.

Neji nods and leaves, glancing one last time at the woman who desperately tries to hide her tears in Gaara's chest.


	18. Echo

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

_**17: echo** _

 

Dozens of kunai rain down the skies and hit the targets with deadly accuracy. A woman with brown hair in twin buns land gracefully on the ground, and takes out her scrolls.

Anger is something Tenten usually can control (if not directed at Lee and Gai-sensei).  But right now, she doesn't know what she is feeling. She made Gaara go back to his paperwork, albeit reluctantly, and told him that she will be just fine on her own. He could clearly see through that fake smile of hers, but his duties as Kazekage cannot be ignored. So, here she is, training on her own, killing innocent targets to release her frustration.

She feels a presence behind her, and stops cold.

"You're Tenten?" His voice is still the same, and she hates the way it sends the butterflies in her stomach flying once again. But this is a mere shell of the man she loved--or loves. This Neji has no memory of her, and they most likely act differently. This Neji doesn't know the pain her Neji felt.

Right?

Tenten exhales and faces him. "Yes, I am." For a moment, his pearl-grey eyes seem cloudy. He stares at her, the trees, the kunai all hitting the bullseye. "We were... friends?"

The uncertainty in his voice both makes and breaks her. 

"And teammates." She adds, trying to sound strong. It's harder than she thought it would be. "I see," he murmurs, and Tenten collects her weapons, watching him. Not once does he move from his current position, studying everything with intelligent eyes the way her Neji used to.

_Stop differentiating them, Tenten, they're both Neji._

_But Neji is..._

Alive.

"How was I?" He asks, and Tenten lets out a shaky breath. He does not see it. "Before everything?" He nods. "Much less talkative than you are now," she says, smiling softly, "answers questions with a single syllable, a snob, and you never stop talking about fate." His brows furrow. "May I ask you why?"

She freezes.

He is confused and curious, she can clearly tell. But that means... he knows of the Caged Bird seal, but he does not know how it affects him.

How it turned him into such a hateful person.

"I..." she clears her throat. "You'll find out eventually. I heard Gaara sent a letter to Naruto. He'll come here and tell you about yourself." He cocks a brow. "Why not you? We were teammates, weren't we?"

The amount of words Neji has said in a few minutes is equal to the amount of words he used to say in a few days.

"I'm not qualified," she says, "I'm not the Hokage." A ghost of a smile dances across Neji's lips, and Tenten's heart skips a beat. Now, she is back to being sixteen and training with the Hyuuga prodigy, expertly hiding her blush whenever he sends her one of those half-smiles. "Then tell me as a teammate." He pauses. "Or, perhaps, a friend."

Never has he called her a friend so freely.

"Alright."

* * *

Gaara sees the two former teammates reunite. Tenten tells him about how he used to act by making impressions of him talking about fate in a surly tone, her voice dropping a couple octaves, making Neji smirk in amusement. It truly does seem that he has no memory of his life before his 'resurrection', which just brings more confusion to Gaara. Did his memories get buried when he woke up without the Caged Bird seal?

Laughter.

The two are no longer talking. Her scrolls are taken out and weapons shower Neji, but he deflects it with his Kaiten. Tenten's lips are curved up into a smile, one Gaara has not seen in fourteen years. Even back then, that smile has never been directed at him.

It is always for Hyuuga Neji, him and only him.

She is thoroughly enjoying this, Gaara notes. All that she ever wanted was to see him again, and now she isn't only seeing him, she's sparring him like how they used to.

A hand taps his shoulder. He turns to meet the black eyes of his older brother. "You'll find someone," he reassures him, "her heart has never left him. You'll find someone who loves you, Gaara. Just not her." 

Gaara sighs. All along... what is he to her? He doesn't have the heart to ask her that question and risk seeing her smile falter. All he wants is for her to be happy, to let that dazzling smile of hers always stay on her face.

If that smile is not caused by him, then so be it.

As long as she's happy, then he's happy, too.


	19. Someone to Hold

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

_**18: someone to hold**_

 

"No--no way, 'ttebayo!" Neji is used to this. He is used to people staring at him with disbelief and shock, only the Hokage is pointing at him. Does he even know basic manners? Baka. "Neji? B--but--you died on me!"

_That's not a good way to put it._

Neji lets out an exasperated sigh. "Yes, I'm alive. Stop pointing." Still in shock, Naruto gapes. "Yeah, that's Neji, alright." Tenten steps forward from next to him. "Trust me, he's very different." Neji frowns and glances at Tenten with slight aggravation. "That different?" Cold eyes burn into her in annoyance, in a face of forced calm. She snickers. "Right now, no."

"Good to know that you two have bonded." Naruto says happily. "I wonder how Lee would react--" "Naruto." Gaara interrupts sternly. "Don't you have matters to discuss with Hyuuga-san?" 

The blonde clears his throat. "Right. Let's go then, Gaara, Neji." Tenten blanches. They're probably going to question him about how he is alive all over again. The reason is something even she hasn't heard, because she's too occupied in answering his questions. But she doesn't mind.

Spending time with him is enough already.

The three leave the room and Tenten follows, despite taking a different turn. She catches Gaara's eye and gives him a small smile. He nods curtly, but doesn't return it.

_What..._

* * *

 "You okay?" Boruto leans against the railing, and Sarada looks at everything but him. "I..."

_"What was your relationship with my dad?"_

_"I... can't answer that, Sarada-chan."_

"I have some questions that aren't answered." She finally sighs. When Karin had said that, curiosity and paranoia flooded through her. Just before she could press the topic, Sasuke came in and told Karin that it was time to leave. But based on what Sarada saw (or at least heard), Suigetsu and Karin were together.

_What in the world..._

"Papa's away, now," she continues miserably, "I don't know when he'll be back." Boruto groans. "My dad, too. He's off to Suna without warning, stupid old man." 

Silently, the two look at the distance. No matter how hard they look, they cannot see their fathers.

"Oi," Boruto says, "look." Sarada turns around. Their resident blonde artist is walking with his parents, laughing gleefully. Sarada's heart clenches in envy, but her eyes soften when she sees how truly happy the Yamanaka family looks.

Ino is looking even more beautiful than usual, if that's even possible. Sai is holding her hand, smiling at her adoringly. Inojin is running in front of them, entering an art shop excitedly. Ino says something to her husband that makes him chuckle (Sarada can't help but note how handsome Sai-ojii-san looks when he's smiling genuinely), before entering the art shop.

Were my parents like that?

Sarada allows herself to wonder. If her mother is pregnant again, would her father stay in Konoha with her or leave on a mission and not come back until the child is old enough to question, _"where is my father?"_

Gritting her teeth, Sarada looks away. She cannot stop the warm tears from streaming down her cheeks. She hates crying in public, especially when Boruto out of all people is watching her, but she can't help it. Why can't her dad just stay? The village needs him but can't he see that his family needs him as well?

 Last night, she had a nightmare. It was a recurring one, much to her dismay. Her father dying on a mission, leaving her and her mother alone. Her mother wouldn't leave her room, crying in sadness and despair. Sarada... alone.

A hand on her shoulder makes her stiffen. Boruto's bright blue eyes look into her dark ones, a sad yet reassuring smile on his face. Before she knows what's happening, he is already holding her as she cries. No questions asked, no words spoken.

He's just _there_ , and that's enough.

Unbeknowst to them, two figures are watching from the shadows. "Pay up." Chocho smirks, palm open. Mitsuki smiles and puts a few ryo on Chocho's hand. "I told you Boruto would make the first move," she smirks victoriously. Mitsuki's smile stays.

"I knew they'd make a good couple."


	20. Whispers in the Dark

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

_**19: whispers in the dark** _

 

He thought that this wouldn't happen again.

It does.

Tenten had brought some dinner for them when Gaara had been too busy to even leave his stack of paperwork. She fell asleep soon after that, on the chair in Gaara's office. He draped the Kazekage's cloak onto her shoulders, and continued his work.

And then she screams.

Gaara rushes towards her, hiding his anxiety with a poker face. She is writhing and sweating, tears streaming down her face. "No," she murmurs, over and over again. "Please don't--don't do it!" Gaara holds her shoulders, attempting to wake her. "Tenten, wake up. It's just a nightmare, okay? It's alright, everything's alright." 

Gaara frowns. Neji is alive. She knows that Neji is alive, why is she still having her nightmares? But if her deepest consciousness still fears for his death, that will explain her nightmares. But this time, with her eyes still closed, a name comes out of her lips.

_"Gaara!"_

He freezes. She's having nightmares about him?

"Tenten..." she frantically struggles away from his grasp, calling out his name with such desperation Gaara feels his heart clench. "Tenten!" He finally exclaims. "Wake up. It's just a nightmare. I'm here. I'm here."

Tired, horrified brown eyes meet light green. "G--Gaara..." he wraps his arms around her, and she takes a deep, shaky breath, burying her head in his chest. "I--I thought you were--" her voice is muffled, "it felt so real." Gaara lets a soft, comforting smile grace his lips. "It's alright. I'm here. I'm safe. We all are."

She lets out a breathless laugh. "Yeah," she murmurs, "we are."

They do not know that the man with all-seeing opalescent eyes are watching them behind the door.

* * *

They spar the way they used to, all those years ago. She attacks, he defends. "Your family is coming to see you," she tells him, not even breaking a sweat. Her stamina has improved over the years, courtesy of Team Gai. "Which?" He asks, deflecting yet another blow from her, this time with a kunai. "Hinata and Hanabi. Your nephew and niece are coming too, I think."

Neji is smart enough to deduce that his parents are long gone, even though Tenten has never said anything about it. But he does not know of the Caged Bird seal. Tenten doesn't have the heart to tell him about that painful story, or how much hurt it caused him. He asked, she dodged, he knew.

"Are you the Kazekage's significant other?" He does not know what they are to each other, but from what he saw yesterday, they are clearly in an intimate relationship. "Wha--" she is distracted, and he uses the chance to throw his kunai at her. She dodges. "Of course not! Why'd you think that?" Nervous, flustered laughter follows her statement. Neji smirks. "No reason."

"Ugh," she grumbles, "you were never this nosy." His smirk grows into a smile. "Have I changed for the better?"

You had.

"I'm not so sure about that." She replies, summoning a bo staff. "Sometimes I'm glad you're not the grumpy jerk you once were, other times I want you to be the quiet Neji who meditated instead of asking questions."

Her use of past tense does not escape his ears. Bonds are hard to build, he knows that. And the fact that they had been close before he 'died' didn't help either. Now, it seems like she has welcomed him with open arms, but he knows that deep down, she still differenciates him with the man he used to be. She tries not to, but she can't help it.

Are they really that different?

The small gasp belonging to none other than Hinata makes them both stop. "Neji-nii-san," she looks close to tears, and Tenten steps back, not wanting to interrupt the family reunion. She gently ushers Himawari towards the uncle she adores so much, while Hanabi immediately jumps to hug her older cousin. Boruto lingers warily, but Naruto nudges him and he steps forward.

 _No wonder Tenten-obaa-san's so smitten with him_ , Boruto thinks as he makes his way towards his no-longer-deceased uncle. _He's undeniably handsome. Why can't the stupid old man have a face this good?_ Hinata is crying, Hanabi is joyful, Himawari is curious and excited, Boruto doesn't know how to feel.

"Ojii-chan!" Himawari calls out in her adorable voice, and Boruto nears them. "Ojii-san," he greets, unsure. He sees Tenten grinning in the background, and wonders if they have rekindled their relationship, whatever their relationship was.

"We gotta celebrate this, 'ttebayo!" Naruto exclaims boisterously, making Neji grimace. "We'll invite all the Konoha Eleven and their kids! It'll be fun!"

"I doubt it," Neji mutters.

 


	21. Regrets

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

**_20: questions_**

 

Boruto is invited to Neji's 'welcome home' party, and he doesn't like it. The grownups all chat amongst themselves, leaving him trying to continue his conversation with Shikadai about the latest video games. But, every once in a while, Boruto's eyes flicker towards his uncle.

He is always steadily near Tenten, and she whispers names in his ear so he won't accidentally offend anyone, most notably Sarada and Ino's mothers. He sees the way his uncle is struggling to remember something, anything. He doesn't know how or why he can read Neji-ojii-san so easily, but there's just something in his eyes that seems familiar somehow.

Tenten is being crushed in a hug by Ino, the two women smiling brightly. "You look radiant, Ino!" She praises, and the blonde waves an arm dismissively. She looks very happy, though. "Shut up! You've only left for, what, two weeks?" Another woman, whom Boruto recognizes as Megumi-nee, embraces Tenten. "Kaa-chan."

Neji's jaw drops from behind them.

"Tenten," he is stammering now, "you're--" "she took me in." Megumi's voice is cold and guarded, the way she always is to people she barely knows. "You must be Hyuuga Neji." She extends her hand, and Neji shakes it. "Pleasure to meet you." Neji raises a brow to Tenten for an explanation, and she laughs. "Megumi is my adopted daughter. I took her in ten years ago."

Megumi gives Neji a look, and he nods, following her to the corner. Boruto snickers. Knowing Megumi, she is probably going to threaten him with her menacing dark stare, something along the lines of " _if you ever hurt my kaa-chan, I will castrate you with twenty different kunai."_ Classic Megumi-nee.

Boruto glances at Tenten. There is a joy in her eyes that Boruto has never seen before, and it makes him smile. Iwabe was right. She is the most beautiful woman in the entire village, especially when she is smiling. He wonders if his uncle feels the same.

Taking this chance, Boruto walks towards Tenten and grins. "Hey, Tenten-obaa-san." She turns to face him and smiles back. "Hey, Boruto. How do you feel about this?" He shrugs. "I don't know. Happy, I suppose. Everyone around me is." Tenten laughs at his answer. "And you?" She furrows her brows. "Are you happy?"

Tenten lets out a breathless, confused laugh. Boruto hopes he never hears that come out of himself, because he doesn't like the idea of being conflicted over his own feelings. "I don't know," she says truthfully, gaze downcast. "It's just... I believed that he was gone. For a long time. And now that he's back, I keep on differentiating between him and the Neji I knew because they're both so different. I know they're the same person, but I can't help it."

Even his eyes seem different. His opalescent eyes were cold and indifferent, intelligent and composed. Now, he is far more open, his demeanor is kind, if not rather curious, and his eyes reflect those traits. Tenten is not used to it, and she doesn't know if she ever will.

"You should be," Boruto reassures her smilingly. "Your teammate is back, ain't he?" She chuckles at the simplicity of the entire situation in his eyes.

"Yes," she sighs, "he is."

* * *

"You know." Megumi's voice is sharp and accusing, yet collected. Despite being brought up by Tenten, Neji can't help but notice how striking their personalities are compared to each other. "I saw," he confirms. "Back in Suna, I had to see the Kazekage, but I didn't come in because I heard noises inside." He deliberately ignores Megumi's reddening cheeks; he does not want to know what the girl is thinking.

"I activated my Byakugan and saw that your mother was having a nightmare, and Kazekage-sama was comforting her." Megumi sighs, tucking stray strands of hair behind her ear. "Don't tell me it's still that same one." Neji frowns. "She has the same nightmares over and over?" Megumi bites her lip. "Well..." "about what?" Neji asks, and the young woman grimaces. "It's not my place to tell."

"Tell me," Neji says calmly. "Tenten and I were close, weren't we? No secrets?" At this, a bittersweet smile dances across Megumi's lips. "There was one, actually." Neji has to stop himself from groaning. Kami, this entire thing is so complicated. "What is it?" Megumi chuckles. "She'll tell you when she's ready. This one, it is truly not my place to tell."

"Are they lovers?" Megumi looks up, confused. "Tenten and the Kazekage." The young woman laughs. "Well, I sure hope so, but they aren't. Kaa-chan doesn't even know how Gaara-san feels. As for kaa-chan... I can't say for sure." Her dark eyes are unreadable. "Back then, when kaa-chan was suffering alone, and I still couldn't understand how she was feeling, Gaara-san was there for her." He still is. "They need each other."

 _When she was suffering because of you_ are unsaid, but the implication is clear. "You hurt kaa-chan terribly because of your 'death'," Megumi states. "If you hurt her again, I'll make sure to put you back in your grave." Neji doesn't ask if she can, but understands her protectiveness and nods. "I won't, I promise."

He can't help but ask. "What was I to her?"

Megumi turns on her heel. "Ask her."

 


	22. Scarred Hands

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

_**21: scarred hands** _

 

_"You'll be alright?" Lee stood in front of her door, concern slipping into his normally enthusiastic voice. Tenten forced a smile. "Yeah. Don't worry." She closed the door after he says he'll visit her tomorrow, and released a breath she didn't know she had been holding._

_The war was over._

_Stumbling to the bathroom, she unraveled her buns and let the hot water rain down her body, hoping to somehow drown. "Stupid," she murmured to herself, "stupid girl." She survived. Others were not so lucky. She could still smell the metal in the air as she rinsed her hair--was that some dry blood still on her scalp?_

_But aside from that, at least things would start going back to normal. She would continue polishing her weapons instead of preparing for battle, Team Gai would still have those early sparring sessions--_

_"Stupid girl." She muttered again as the image of Neji's dead body flashed right before her eyes. She turned off the water and put her sleepwear on, leaning against the wall. "Stupid..."_

_The dam broke._

_Guttural screams rang throughout the whole room, her weapons were thrown to the walls and her mirrors shattered from the impact of a shuriken. A photo frame fell from her bedside table and she crumbled to the floor, shaking. It took a while for Tenten to realize that the screams were coming from herself._

_"Baka," she gripped her kunai tighter. "Who told you to play hero?" She swung her kunai at the table. "Who told you to play hero and leave me alone?" There was a sudden urge for her to stand up. She walked towards the shards of glass, eyes empty._

_Tenten's skin had long been marred by battle scars._

_This time, she was going to make one herself._

_"I hate you." She ran the cold edge of glass against her flesh, watching the crimson liquid seep through and drip to the floor. "I hate you." Fuck it, her heart was still breaking. One more. She was breathless. It hurt. Tenten knew it wasn't a cure, but it was a distraction. And that was enough._

_Repeat._

_One more led to five more._

_Arms still gushing out blood, she staggered towards her drawer and took out the sake she had stolen from her parents' stack. Lifting the bottle, which was a difficult feat, she drank._

* * *

_"_ This is where you used to live." The Hyuuga Compound looms over them, and Neji raises a brow. "Here?" Tenten nods, grinning. "Yeah. Your uncle is going to greet you by the gates, so be on your best behavior." Neji rolls his eyes at her sentence. "I'm not a child, Tenten." He says exasperatedly. The woman just throws her head back and laughs.

The figure of Hyuuga Hiashi can be seen from the distance, and Tenten feels her heart warm. If only he had been like this from the very start...

Neji and Tenten arrive, and Hiashi looks as composed as ever, but Tenten knows he is in the verge of breaking and mending. "Neji," he breathes out. "Hiashi-sama." Neji bows stiffly, hiding his uncertainty with a cool façade.

What comes next surprises all of them.

Hiashi drops to his knees and his head is touching the ground, as if he is the servant and Neji is the master. "Forgive me," he says, and Tenten thinks that he is close to tears. "Forgive me. Everything I've done... they have brought you nothing but pain and bitterness."

Neji freezes, stunned.

"I condemned you to a life of hatred and missed opportunities, all just because you were born to my brother. My brother who was better than me in every way, and yet this... this _system_ caused both of you to go too early. But you have returned, and I know I have to pay for my mistakes."

* * *

_"Neji?" The twelve-year-old was supposed to be meditating. At least, that was their routine. Neji would sit cross-legged under a tree, while Tenten perfected her aim. But right now, he was angrily attacking a tree, byakugan blazing._

_"What happened? Are you okay?" His voice came out like a whisper at first. "I hate them." Tenten stepped closer, brows furrowed. "You hate--" "I HATE THEM!" Neji roars, and the tree falls to the ground with a loud crash. He swiveled around, his opalescent eyes wide with rage. His breathing was shallow and quick._

_He looked... insane._

_Before Tenten could even blink, his hand had wrapped around her neck tightly, making her choke. "You did this to me," Tenten felt her heart break. Even the all-seeing eyes could go blind. "YOU DID THIS TO ME!"_

_"N--Neji--" she couldn't breathe. "It's me--it's Tenten--" "my father was better than all of those pathetic mongrels combined!" He snarled. He was looking right into her eyes but Tenten knew she wasn't the one he was actually seeing. "That damned Main House! I hate them! I hate them!"_

_Tenten frantically searched for a kunai and found it, slashing the weapon against Neji's hand. Immediately, she could breathe freely again, and she dropped to the ground, coughing. Neji blinked, and once he saw his female teammate gingerly holding her neck before him, he blanched._

_"Tenten..." the_ sorry _was unspoken, but they both knew it was there. "I'm sorry." Tenten told him, but he shook his head. "They should be sorry." His eyes were colder than ever._

 _"I'll_ make _them be sorry."_

* * *

Neji looks at Hiashi, still kneeling, and his expression betrays nothing as he speaks.

"Don't worry," he murmurs softly, "you _will_ pay."

 


	23. Let Go

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

_**22: let go** _

 

"Why didn't you tell me?" Neji's furious pearl-grey eyes burn into Tenten's chocolate irises, making her grimace. "Why didn't you tell me what he did to me?" Hiashi has not lifted his head, and Tenten sighs, reaching out her hand to hold his shoulder. "Look, those are some of the worse fragments. Once you piece them all together--"

"He killed my father!" He pushes her hand away and turns, blazing in rage. "You call this my  _home_?"

"Hiashi-sama," Tenten mutters, knowing how Neji can be in his thunderous rampage. "Please stand first. Neji doesn't remember--" "I do remember." Neji seethes coldly, glaring sharply at his uncle. "I remember you torturing him. That seal on his head--you put that on me, too." 

"Neji--"

"Perhaps Suna is a better place to stay," he turns on his heel just as Hiashi rises, looking pained. "They do house Konoha runaways, after all." Tenten feels what is left of her little, beaten, broken heart shatter once more.

_Runaways... like me._

"Runaways, you say," she murmurs, "but aren't you the infamous Hyuuga prodigy? Wouldn't it be a bruise to your ego if you breathe the same air with a runaway?"

_I was running from you._

"Or I should just go back." He begins to walk away. "Act as if I have never returned." Her anger burns inside her like flames. "You fool!" She yells, and he freezes in his tracks.

"Don't you know how happy everyone is when they knew you're actually alive? You're willing to leave all of us--" _leave me_ "--just because of flashes in your head that you disliked and they're not even complete in the first place! The Neji I knew would never be this selfish!"

He does not turn his head, but she knows he can see her.

"He's gone, remember?"

Tenten digs her nails into her palm so deep that she draws blood. "You were four!" He glares at the ground, trying to hide the pain in his eyes with anger, but she knows, damn it, she _knows_. "You were four when you were given that mark. You hated the world until Uzumaki Naruto changed you. You lived through all those, all of those until you died at seventeen. For nine years, you lived with bitterness, and once you changed, you became the strongest person I ever knew. You lived through those." He's trying to ignore her. She won't let him.

"And now don't tell me after, what, five minutes of rediscovering short memories in your head, you're going to run?"

He grits his teeth. "This has nothing to do with you." Hiashi gives Tenten a look, somewhere between _please make him stay_ and _stop trying,_ but she chooses the former.

"It has everything to do with me." Her voice has become much calmer than before, and she is putting all her years of ANBU to use. She owes him at least this. She can't just let him leave and destroy everything he has achieved before he...

If emotions push him away, maybe logic will make him stay.

* * *

"Karin!"

The redhead slams onto the tree with a grunt. Enemies are down on her feet, courtesy of Suigetsu's sword and Karin's chakra chains, but she has her limits, and weeks of nonstop traveling must've taken it's toll on her.

"Damn it!" She struggles back on her feet, wary crimson eyes flitting to Suigetsu before focusing back on the hooded man before them. "What do you want?" She spits, clenching her fists. 

The man clicks his tongue. "Is that all you've got? How impressive." The sarcasm rolls off his tongue a little too smoothly and Karin growls. She is smarter than to charge him head-on, though. Instead, she glances at Suigetsu. "What do we do?" Suigetsu growls. "Where's Juugo when we need him?"

The inn they have been staying for merely one night is wholly destroyed. If this man is searching for Sasuke, then he's late. He left days ago. "I hear you two were just from Konoha..." he lifted his face. He is wearing a simple black mask that covers everything but his eyes.

The Byakugan.

"I want someone with eyes like mine."

Suigetsu stands next to Karin, sword gripped tight. "Can you just get straight to the point? I'm tired of these games." Out of all the dozen men he brought with him, the masked man is clearly their leader and the strongest of them all. And his eyes... no wonder he could attack Karin when she is at her weakest despite her covering it all up. He could see her chakra.

"I want Hyuuga Neji."

 


	24. Nostalgia

 

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

_**23: nostalgia** _

 

She is on her knees and placing some purple hyacinths into the vase by his gravestone. It is dark and she almost can't make out his name, but she has known the place by memory. Slowly, she reaches out and brushes the familiar etching, eyes closed.

"I'm sorry."

_I should've told you the truth from the very beginning, I should've told you about your family, I should've explained everything._

"I keep on failing you, don't I?" 

She knows he can't hear her. He's alive, but he's no longer the Hyuuga Neji that she knew and loves. She has spent years longing for his 'impossible' return, but now that he has, everything seems so unreal and so fragile.

And it has broken.

The pain in her heart is burning her alive even though the evening breeze chills her to the bone. She grits her teeth and unconsciously rubs her arms. 

It reminds her of her days in ANBU, what she does when she is begging for pain and desperate for her own blood. The old scars are barely visible. She has stopped ever since she took Megumi in; she has to be a good example and tearing apart her own flesh is not something she wants Megumi to follow.

But her scars are stinging and she doesn't know why.

It's been ten years since she last did it (maybe she really did go too deep, the scars are still there after a decade). They shouldn't be throbbing anymore. They shouldn't be hurting or burning or remind her of every single failure in her life, every single person she failed to save--

\--including herself.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, and her vision blurs. She is returning to Suna tomorrow morning and she will not allow herself to break now. Steeling herself together the way she used to before stumbling into drunken sleep, she stands and leaves, not sparing the stone a second glance.

A man comes by minutes later and takes a single purple hyacinth from his own grave.

* * *

 "Oi," Shikamaru opens the door of Naruto's office, yawning. His stomach rumbles and he fights the urge to crawl back into bed and sleep some more. Temari had banned him and Shikadai from dinner last night, the troublesome woman.

"Shikamaru, come take a look at this." Naruto is uncharacteristically solemn, his blue eyes scanning through a piece of paper. Shikamaru reads the paper along with him, and his slanted eyes widen in surprise.

_A Hyuuga attacked us. He wants Hyuuga Neji._

"That's from?" "Karin," Naruto says glumly, "after all this drama, there's more?" Shikamaru sighs, eyes flickering from the letter to the window. "It never ends," he says tiredly. "Troublesome."

"How's Ino, by the way?" The faintest smile traces his lips. "Better," he muses. "She's been pushing Sai to take his missions again instead of accompanying her every day." Naruto snorts. "He's such a doting husband." To think that the emotionless ex-ROOT could eventually marry Yamanaka Ino and insist to be by her side to take care of her. How things have changed.

"She wants to resume working at the Intelligence, but Sai doesn't let her." Shikamaru chuckles. "Troublesome."

Naruto stares up, looking thoughtful. He never knew the extent of Shikamaru's feelings for Ino, only that they had been lovers. It's almost inevitable; the single female member of a genin cell will fall in love with one of the males.

Sakura and Sasuke, Ino and Shikamaru, Tenten and Neji...

"Hey, Shikamaru," Naruto asks, putting the letter down. "How did you and Ino break up back then?" Shikamaru pauses. He had been staring at the clouds that day when she came to join him. She looked beautiful that day, he still remembers now. The smile on her face was broken yet genuine.

 _"You don't love me anymore,"_ she had said. _"Let's free us both, ne?"_

"Did she cry?"

"She did," she didn't know that he saw her, though. "Did you break it up or did she?" Shikamaru smiles softly.

"We freed us both."


	25. Hidden Cage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'm so sorry for the long delay. School has been driving me nuts, projects and exams everywhere and there's just so much going on in my life that I even got sick a couple times. The author's block didn't help either. My finals are done and I have a long holiday so I can update more frequently, especially now that I have more ideas for this story. Thank you so much for those of you who are still reading this story!

**Matchmaking Isn't A Good Idea**

 

_**24: hidden cage** _

 

"What do you mean?" It is early morning and the papers on the Hokage table rattle with Naruto's sudden movement. "She's not back in Suna?" Temari shakes her head. "I received word from Gaara; she's supposed to be back two days ago but she hasn't arrived yet."

"But we saw her leave." He argues, running his hands through his hair. First, a hooded man attacking his relative. Now, his comrade gone. What's next?

Shikamaru sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "I think," he says, "this has something to do with the Hyuuga who Karin and Suigetsu wrote about." Naruto frowns. "Why'd you think that?"

Shikamaru looks straight into his eyes. "Tenten is a skilled kunoichi, but if she is ambushed by many people, the chances of her winning or leaving unscathed are very small. Plus, if the Hyuuga is the one attacking, then she might be in trouble. Even though she knows their blind spot, this Hyuuga would still have the upper hand."

Naruto grimaces, pinching the bridge of his nose tiredly. "How are you so sure that the Hyuuga is the one who ambushed her?" Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "According to our info, this Hyuuga wants Neji. Who was the closest to Neji? Tenten. And she's leaving for Suna alone, which just makes things easier for him. Tenten knows Neji's blind spot, and knows about the Hyuuga clan's special Main Family jutsu. If Tenten is the one captured, there's a higher chance that Neji will come to help her."

"But aren't they in a bad spot right now?" Asks Naruto, exhaling harshly through his nose. "I heard about him remembering some stuff at the Hyuuga Compound, and that they got into an argument. It's not good." Temari nods. "I've seen him around the village. He's very cold, much like when I first met him back in the Chuunin exams." 

"This is all so troublesome..." Shikamaru groans. "So? What do we do, Hokage-sama?" He yawns, and Temari whacks his head.

"We can't let Neji go after her," Naruto says firmly. "Or that man will get what he wants. Another team." Shikamaru's lazy dark eyes turn sharp for a split second as he glares at Naruto, who winces. "Not Sai." He says, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Sai would've been a decent choice... if he attacks with his many ink creations, he might have a chance of unintentionally finding its blind spot, making it easier for him to give a surprise attack while distracting him at the same time.

"Ino is fine, though," Naruto argues, although he feels as if he's betraying his own morals for this. "She has Inojin and Temari and you and her mom to look after her. Sai can go on this mission--"

"Not if there's a chance of him ending up dead."

Even Temari flinches at the steel sharp tone her husband uses. "Inojin needs his father. Ino needs her husband. You are _not_ sending Sai on this mission, Hokage-sama." Shikamaru has always valued camaraderie very highly. He treasures Ino and Choji; they are teammates, partners, best friends.

He will not let them get hurt in any way.

* * *

Everything is dark.

Even if she wants to see her captor's face, she cannot. She can only see the pair of eyes, opalescent eyes which haunt her dreams every night, only this pair isn't his. She knows his eyes. She knows _him_. Not this.

"Tenten..." his voice is different. Older, not as deep as Neji's. "I've heard about you," the Byakugan activates. "Let's hope you're as good as your reputation, Konoha's weapons mistress."

Her binds release, and the sound of an object whizzing in the air alerts her. She catches it, and grits her teeth. Her scroll. If it's a fight he's looking for, then it's a fight he will get.


	26. What We Were.

**Matchmaking Isn't a Good Idea.**

 

_**25: what we were**_

 

The longer he stays here, the more he regrets his decision. The old man had told him to go to his hidden village, discover more about his past and maybe regain his memories along the way. The journey to Konoha was long, so he stopped at Suna. Then he met the woman from his past, apparently his old teammate. Then the sudden flashes of old memories begin to appear in his head, and he wonders why he had willingly died for these scoundrels.

The Hyuuga clan head. He branded him. Granted him a caged life. His own father died for him. How had he called this place home?

Tiny fingers brush his hair, and Neji is snapped out of his daze. The cerulean eyes of his niece, Uzumaki Himawari, stare right into his opalescent ones. "Your hair is so pretty, Neji-ojii-san!" He blanches. "Can I braid it?" He notices the plastic bag Himawari is holding, and it is filled to the brim with flowers.  _Oh no._

"I don't like people touching my hair." He says curtly before turning away again. He crosses his legs, attempting to meditate, but the girl taps his shoulder. "Pleaseee?" She pouts, and Neji turns to look at her. This is a big mistake on his part, because he absolutely cannot say no to those big blue eyes.

"Alright," he relents, "go ahead. Just... try not to put too many flowers." Himawari beams, sitting down behind him. He can feel her fingers roam his thick dark tresses, and he tries not to flinch. As Himawari's voice begins to fade in his meditative state, images appear in his mind. Another memory has decided to surface.

* * *

" _Your hair is so long and pretty," rough hands lifted his hair from the base of his neck and twirled some strands on her fingers. "Do you use conditioner?" He scoffed. The Hyuuga genes were impeccable in no matter what area, even if it was something as irrelevant as hair. "Yes, I do."_

_"Can I have some of yours?" She asked him, shamelessly comparing both their hair. Hers was tangled, messy and a complete disaster; no wonder she kept it in her buns. Her career as a ninja would be destroyed if she went on missions with that despicable lion's mane. Then again, if they were ever sent on a seduction mission, Tenten's hair would be a huge disadvantage..._

_"Hn," he finally replied, "tomorrow." She grinned brightly, eyes lighting up. "Thank you!" It confused him, how someone like her could be so easily pleased by even the smallest things. She was an orphan, had no bloodline limit, she didn't have any special privileges, had no one to shower her with love and she wasn't particularly acknowledged by everyone even though her skills with weapons were unrivaled by almost anyone._

_Why did she find it so easy to be happy?_

Because she isn't like you, _his mind told him, but he shoved the thought away. She wouldn't understand--she couldn't understand. She wasn't the one whose life was bound by fate, or rather, by a green mark on the forehead. He closed his eyes, relaxed, and drifted off into meditation._

* * *

"Shika-ojii-san!" The loud voice startles him out of his peace. He almost glares at the little girl, but sees Shikamaru holding back laughter despite the obvious concern in the Nara's dark eyes, and opts to glare at him instead. "What is it?" Neji asks darkly, imagining ten thousand ways to kill Nara Shikamaru. "Looking good, Neji," he says dryly, snickering at Neji's braided hair, complimented with flowers, no less.

"Get to the point." Neji growls, and Shikamaru's bemused expression turns dark. "Himawari, why don't you pick more flowers?" She nods brightly, and runs off. Neji frowns. Shikamaru meets his eyes. "Tenten is missing."

Worry rushes through him. They were close before his 'death', and now, despite his anger towards her, he cannot help but let the worry for her wellbeing gnaw at his heart. "What do you mean, missing?" Neji questions, eyes narrowed. Shikamaru sighs. "She left for Suna, but never arrived. She's not here, either. We suspect that she's been ambushed while she traveled back to Suna--ambushed by a Hyuuga."

"What?" Neji rises immediately, the sudden movement making the untied braid undo itself, flowers falling to the grass. "Our allies told us that a Hyuuga attacked them on their way to Kiri, saying that he wanted you. Maybe he knows about Tenten's connection to you and he took her as bait to lure you out."

"And you want me to be lured out." Neji states monotonously, and Shikamaru nods. "Maybe you can figure out his motives. You'll have Lee and Kiba with you; Lee is used to fighting with a Hyuuga since he was your teammate and Kiba can track their location." Shikamaru's gaze is dark and serious. "Remember. Bring her back safe."

Neji nods, and Shikamaru turns to leave, but pauses on the way. "You were her everything, you know," he drawls lazily, but Neji can hear the emotion in his voice. "You should've seen her arms during those first few years after you died." _Her arms?_ "It was only after she adopted Megumi that she began to heal."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Motivation."

Neji can tell that Shikamaru is smiling.


End file.
